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Dearborn Heights study session wrestles with who qualifies for tuition reimbursement after arbitration precedent
Summary
City councillors and administrators debated whether a police officer’s psychology degree falls under a collective-bargaining clause requiring courses to “relate directly to police work,” cited a 2015 arbitration that favored reimbursement, and asked administration for clearer pre-approval and budgeting procedures.
At a Dearborn Heights City Council study session, councillors and city administrators discussed how the municipal collective-bargaining agreement covers employee tuition reimbursement and whether a police officer’s bachelor’s degree in psychology qualifies for payment under Article 57 of the DHPOA contract.
Speaker 2, who read the contract language for the meeting, said Article 57 requires that "the courses taken must relate directly to police work or be part of a recognized police administration degree curriculum," and noted the officer in question provided a Wayne State University screenshot showing a psychology major. Speaker 2 also cited a 2015 arbitration decision involving Officer Ed Pila and said the arbitrator "found that obtaining a 4 year degree regardless of the field of discipline should be of benefit to any police department and…
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