Despite arbitrator's order, East St. Louis cops have been waiting 6 years for a raise
Editor’s note: This story was originally published by the Belleville News-Democrat, a news partner of St. Louis Public Radio.
It’s been almost six years since their last collective bargaining agreement expired and more than two years since city officials and union representatives agreed to terms on a new labor contract, but East St. Louis police officers are still waiting for a pay raise.
During a special meeting on Oct. 11, city aldermen approved a resolution authorizing a new contract. But seven members of the Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 126, which represents the officers in contract negotiations, confirmed this week that they have not received the 2% raise nor the five years worth of retroactive pay ordered by a court-appointed arbitrator on Aug. 2 of this year.
It’s not clear why the city has delayed the raises. But documents obtained by the Belleville News-Democrat show that both sides of the negotiating table agreed to terms of the new contract in 2019 before a former city manager persuaded the city council to vote against it, citing East St. Louis’ long-standing financial woes.
https://news.stlpublicradio.org/law-order/2021-12-17/despite-arbitrators-order-east-st-louis-cops-have-been-waiting-6-years-for-a-raise