Bayport council approves three-year police labor agreement with higher wages and added benefits

Bayport City Council on Jan. 6 approved a three-year labor agreement with the Minnesota Teamsters Public and Law Enforcement Employees Union Local 320 covering the city’s police officers.

Staff described the agreement as the culmination of six to eight months of negotiation. “This particular contract agreement is with the police officers … we’ve probably been working about six eight months on this,” a city staff member said, summarizing the changes. The contract was presented as bringing officer wages more in line with East Metro comparables and the median for the region.

The agreement raises multiple benefits. Tuition reimbursement will increase from $3,000 per year to $5,250 per year, with a cap, and the city added more tiers to its fitness-incentive program so more officers can qualify. The contract also formalizes compensation and care responsibilities for a K-9 officer, and it creates a health-care savings plan to receive accrued sick-time payouts upon retirement or separation for future health costs.

City staff told the council that the 2025 wage increases are budgeted. “The wages that are currently in there are budgeted for in 2025,” the presenter said, and staff recommended adoption to keep the city competitive for recruits.

Council members moved and approved the agreement by voice vote. The city will implement the contract terms beginning Jan. 1, 2025; the agreement runs through Dec. 31, 2027. Staff said detailed, numbered changes are documented in a memo and the contract itself for members and the public to review.

Council action: motion to approve the labor agreement adopted at the meeting; the agreement takes effect Jan. 1, 2025.