LOWER MERION – Lower Merion Commissioners approved a new four-year contract with its police union.
The new contract, which runs from 2027 through 2030, includes a 2% pay increase every six months for the life of the contract.
According to township officials, the FOP voted and ratified the proposed contract on Oct. 28.
“We have been working and meeting with the Fraternal Order of Police for the last five months, so there were multiple meetings,” Ernie McNeely, township manager, said. “Our team has done good work working with the FOP’s bargaining team and have arrived at a new four-year proposed agreement.”
Under the new contract, officers will receive a 2% pay increase each Jan. 1 and July 1 from 2027 through 2030.
Among other things in the contract, the officers receive 11 paid holidays, which, along with the major holidays such as New Year’s Day, Christmas, and Thanksgiving, also include other holidays not provided by many private employers, such as Martin Luther King Day, Presidents’ Day, Good Friday, Eater Sunday, and Juneteenth.
“The proposed agreement represents a total base wage cost increase of approximately $545,714 plus an additional $53,000 in benefit costs inflated by the base wage for a total cost increase of $598,714 in 2027,” according to the township staff’s memo to the commissioners. “After projected employee benefit savings the net cost is projected at $279,714 in 2027 but both projected cost and savings are dependent on staffing, medical plan usage and the demographics of the department.”
The township and the union also discussed a few other items that are not included in the contract. Among them, the township agreed to form a committee to develop a policy defining AI usage and guardrails in the department.
In another provision, the township agrees it will not release the identities of any officer involved in a use-of-force incident if no criminal charges are filed. Although this is already township practice, it should be discussed and potentially incorporated into a policy.
One final item is that officers may have short, neatly maintained facial hair. The FOP is to work with the superintendent to potentially incorporate the requested provision into policy.
Todd Sinai, president of the Board of Commissioners, said this feels like a fair contract.
“I’m thrilled that it’s four years,” Sinai said. “It gives predictability to our officers; it gives predictability to us to have a four-year contract. And I’m mainly grateful that this is another example of being a very productive relationship between the township and the FOP.”
The commissioners were also scheduled to discuss a new contract with the township’s workers’ union, but postponed it.