Adams Township renews collective bargaining agreement with police
ADAMS TWP — Township supervisors approved a new five-year collective bargaining agreement with the township’s police department during their meeting Monday night, Oct. 28. The new agreement will take effect Jan. 1 and expire at the end of 2029.
Supervisor Russell Ford, who appeared at Monday’s meeting by teleconference, said negotiations have been ongoing since May.
“There was a lot of really, really good conversation back and forth,” Ford said. “It was, I believe, a win-win for both sides. We're very, very happy to finish this out.”
Supervisor Ronald Shemela said talks between the township and the police department were generally amicable, and there were no real sticking points.
“We had three or four sessions back and forth, and it was amicable,” Shemela said. “Russ Ford and myself negotiated on behalf of the township, and they had three officers and a committee to negotiate for the police.”
The current agreement expires at the end of the year and took effect at the start of 2022. Shemela says the township is trying to secure five-year bargaining agreements with its unions.
“This is the first year we’re trying to get everybody on five-year contracts … public works and police,” Shemela said.
The police department has 17 full-time officers and is located in the basement of the township’s municipal building on Valencia Road. The township is working on constructing a garage behind its municipal building for the police department to store its vehicles. It is estimated the garage will be completed by mid-December.
