Rockville Centre's police union to get retroactive raises

A state arbitration panel has awarded Rockville Centre Village’s police union a retroactive raise for 2010 and 2011.

The panel awarded the police two 3.25 percent increases, for the 2010 and 2011 contract years.

The award ends a period in which union members “have not had the benefit of any wage increase for over three years,” according to the panel. The panel made the award for the state Public Employment Relations Board.

The village attempted to “reach a fair, negotiated settlement” with the police union before going to arbitration, but was not successful, Rockville Centre officials said in a statement.

“We argued in arbitration that the interests and welfare of the public are a vital element of consideration and that the current state of the economy and pressure on taxpayers is at a critical stage,” the statement said.

The panel wrote that the village “should not be penalized for its fiscal responsibility,” but “the totality of the circumstances does not support an extraordinary award of no increase.”

The police union had proposed a 5.5 percent salary increase for each of the contract years, documents state.