Lock Haven 10-hour shift proposal for police force gets arbitration approval

LOCK HAVEN, PA – A three-member arbitration panel has sided with the City of Lock Haven on its proposal to implement a 10-hour shift for city police officers.

That finding was included in the recently shared arbitration award handed down after the city and its Police Officers’ Association could not agree on terms of a new contract to replace the previous pact which expired on Dec. 31, 2022. Before that contract had expired the two sides had been involved in collective bargaining but were unable to reach an agreement and the matter went to arbitration under terms of the state’s Act 111.

A closed arbitration hearing was held in March of this year, at which time the panel heard the city proposal to move to 10-hour shifts and provide 20-hour coverage a day instead of the current 24-hour coverage.

As noted in the arbitration panel award, nothing in the agreement is a limitation on the city’s ability to “reduce the level of police services below 24/7 coverage.” The panel wrote that in exercising its discretion, “the city may implement a ten (10) hour shift schedule for all members or some members of the Department, which may consist of up to sixteen (16) regularly scheduled shifts within a consecutive twenty-eight (28) calendar day period.”

The panel also provided the city with the ability to terminate the 10-hour shift setup on 30 days’ notice to the police bargaining unit.

The new contract will be for three years, retroactive to Jan. 1 of this year. It calls for a 2% increase this year, 3% in 2024 and 4% in 2025. That means a first class patrolman this year will earn $63,502, $65,407 in 2024, and in 2025 the position will pay $68,023.

City Manager Greg Wilson, in response to a query from The Record earlier this month, said that once the determination was received, it would be reviewed by the city’s labor attorney and the city manager to see what can be implemented administratively and what must be implemented with legislation through ordinance adoption. Actions requiring ordinance adoption must occur within 30 days at a public meeting but can’t take effect until Jan. 1, 2024, per Act 111, according to the city manager.

Craig McGowan, attorney for the police association, had been critical in comments earlier this year about the city call for 10-hour work shifts.

There was no immediate comment from the two sides as to the final arbitration award.