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Council approves Teamsters contracts for police, public works and municipal employees
Summary
Ottumwa council approved tentative agreements with Teamsters Local 238 covering police officers, dispatchers, public works and municipal employees. The contracts include multi-year COLAs, phased increases, and labor‑policy changes described as budgeted.
The Ottumwa City Council approved multiple collective bargaining agreements with Teamsters Local 238 affecting police officers, dispatchers, public works, parks, airport and cemetery employees, and municipal employees.
For police officers and communication specialists the negotiated final offer included a 3.5 percent cost-of-living adjustment for officers on July 1, 2026 and July 1, 2027. Communication specialists will receive a 3 percent COLA on July 1, 2026, a 2 percent increase on Jan. 1, 2027, and a 4 percent increase on July 1, 2027 (staff described the blended effect as a more competitive wage step for recruiting and retention).
Separate five‑year contracts approved for public works and municipal employees (commencing July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2031) implement placement on the city’s compensation handbook with phased increases, shift differential increases for second and third shifts, a clarified overtime definition that counts certain paid accruals as hours worked for overtime calculations, and a higher boot reimbursement (increased to $200). City staff told council all contracts were budgeted in the FY2026–27 proposal.
Council approved the agreements by roll call and authorized the mayor to sign the final documents pending union ratification where applicable.
