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ELEANOR WALKER ANAHITA A. FELTZ
MAYOR BUSINESS ADMINISTRATOR
Township of Old Bridge
and
Dispatchers Union IFPTE Local 196
February 28, 2025
The Township and Dispatchers Union IFPTE Local 196 have come to an agreement upon said terms to be included in a successor collective negotiated agreement, the key terms of which have been reduced to written form and set forth in this Memorandum of Agreement.
TERM AND RENEWAL
The terms of the agreement shall be from January 1, 2025 through December 31, 2028.
All items listed in this agreement shall take effect on the date this Memorandum of Agreement is ratified, unless otherwise noted.
ARTICLE I
RECOGNITION
Make the following revisions to the sentence below:
The Township hereby recognizes the Old Bridge Dispatchers Union, IFPTE Local 196, as the Sole and Exclusive representative of all Civilian Police/Fire Department Dispatchers within the municipality employed in the job title of full-time "Service Division, Information Bureau Dispatcher.” All part-time “Service Division, Information Bureau Dispatchers” are excluded from union representation.
ARTICLE VI
HEALTH INSURANCE
Delete Section A,1 and replace with the following:
Employees, spouses and children shall be covered by the Township’s health insurance plan and prescription plan. Employees agree to the benefits as set forth by the New Jersey State Health Benefits Program. Employees shall be required to contribute to his/her health benefits in accordance with the Tier IV rates set forth in Chapter 78, P.L. 2011. See Appendix A. No increase shall be imposed unless there is an increase in the cost of the insurance premium or an increase in the employee’s salary.
Delete Section A,2 in entirety for the following reasons:
The waiver section was deleted and removed because by law it is not subject to negotiations and therefore should not be in the contract. See N.J.S.A. 40A:10-17.1.
Remove Section B as the prescription plan is provided under the medical benefits through the NJ State Health Benefits program.
Section “C” will now be Section B called “Dental Insurance” with the following language:
B. Dental Insurance:
Employees, spouses and children shall have the option to be covered by the Township’s current dental plan. Employees will be required to make the appropriate contributions for the plan they elect.
Section “D” will now be Section C called “Vision Insurance” with the following language:
C. Vision Insurance:
Employees, spouses and children shall have the option to be covered by the Township’s current vision plan. Employees will be required to make the appropriate contributions for the plan they elect.
Add the following Sub-Section to G-1:
(c) All employees hired on or after January 1, 2025 shall not be afforded retiree survivor spouse benefits. All employees hired prior to January 1, 2025 are afforded retiree survivor spouse benefits for a maximum of two (2) years.
(d) Retiree benefits remain a negotiable item in future collective bargaining agreements.
ARTICLE VII
HOURS OF WORK AND OVERTIME
Strike the following language from Section B:
Sick leave shall not count as hours worked for overtime purposes.
Remove Section F in its entirety.ARTICLE IX
SICK LEAVE
Make the following revisions to Section B:
B. All employees hired prior to January 1, 2018, shall be allowed fourteen (14) fifteen (15) sick days per year. Of these fourteen sick days, four (4) may be designated by the employee as personal days. Any of the four personal days not taken by the employee by the end of each calendar year shall be accrued as sick time and carried as part of the employees’ sick time bank. All employees hired on or after January 1, 2018, shall only be afforded a total of thirteen (13) fourteen (14) sick days. Of these thirteen (13) fourteen (14) sick days, two (2) three (3) sick days may be designated by the employee as personal days.
ARTICLE X
LEAVES
Make the following revisions under Section B-1:
…The immediate family shall include: mother, father, brother, sister, step-parent, grandparent, husband, wife, son, daughter, mother-in-law, father-in-law, or any other blood relative living within the employee’s household.
Revise Section B-2:
One (1) Three (3) days bereavement leave shall be granted in the event of the death of a relative or spouse’s relative outside the immediate family. A relative outside the immediate family is defined as aunt, uncle, niece, and nephew.
ARTICLE XI
HOLIDAYS
Add the following new Section B with the following:
B. Any employee working any amount of time on the following holidays shall receive an additional 5.25-hour Floating Holiday. The four (4) holidays are:
- New Year’s Day (to be used in the current year earned)
- Independence Day (to be used in the current year earned)
- Thanksgiving Day (to be used by January 31st of the following year)
- Christmas Day (to be used by January 31st of the following year)
ARTICLE XIV
SALARY AND LONGEVITY
The following are the percentage increases for the duration of this contract, effective January 1, 2025:
2025 – 3%
2026 – 3%
2027 – 3%
2028 – 3%
See attached proposed salary guide, effective January 1, 2025.
Add new section labeled “Section C: Stipends” and add the following language:
C. Stipends
1. A $1700 (increase of $500 from 2022 MOA) shift differential stipend included in the base salary of employees working the midnight shift (9:30pm to 8am).
2. The Dispatch Coordinator shall receive a $2500 stipend for working a 5/2 schedule.
3. A $1000 stipend shall be given to two (2) designated dispatchers to serve as back up dispatch coordinators in the absence of the coordinator.
4. A $750 stipend shall be given to the designated three (3) TAC officers. See Appendix B for the list of responsibilities of a TAC officer.
The above-mentioned stipends will go into effect upon ratification of this MOA and will not be retroactive to January 1, 2025.
ARTICLE XIX
VACATIONS
Add the following language to Section A,4:
All Dispatchers shall be allowed to carry over vacation time into the new year, with a maximum of ten (10). Employees hired on or after May 21, 2010 shall not be eligible for carry over unless it was due to business demands in accordance with N.J.S.A. 40A:9-10.5. All carried over vacation time must be used by June 30th.
Revise Section B with the following:
Revise vacation schedule for all new employees hired on or after January 1, 2018:
- Change thirteen (13) days to fifteen (15) days for 6th-10th year of employment
- Remove 11th and thereafter
| Years of Service | Vacations Days |
| 1st Year of Employment | One (1) vacation day per month during the first year of employment. Maximum five (5) vacation days. |
| 2nd – 5th Year of Employment | Ten (10) vacation days. |
| 6th – 10th Year of Employment | Fifteen (15) vacation days. |
11th and thereafter | Fifteen (15) vacation days. |
ARTICLE XXI
PART-TIME DISPATCHERS
Per Union request, Article to be removed as Part-Time dispatchers’ positions are going to be eliminated.
ARTICLE XXII
SHIFT BID
Make the following revisions to Section A:
A. Effective April 1st February 1st of each year shift assignments shall be made in accordance with a seniority-based shift bid system. Standard bid slips shall be developed and distributed to all dispatchers no less than two (2) weeks prior to April 1st February 1st. Each employee shall list his/her shift choices, in order of preference, giving their 1st, 2nd, and 3rd shift choices. Assignments shall then be made, where all qualifications are equal, pursuant to seniority. These assignments shall be effective as of April 1st February 1st and shall remain in full force and effect until the procedure is repeated the following year.
ARTICLE XXVI
CLOTHING ALLOWANCE
Delete in its entirety and replace with the following:
Clothing maintenance allowance shall be $550 per year, effective January 1, 2026. Such allowance shall be paid during the second pay period of January for current employees and new hires. (i.e. A new hire in June will not be afforded any payment for clothing and/or uniform until the first pay period in January.)
Add new Article XXIV “Terminal Leave” with the following language:
A. An employee who serves notice of their intent to retire from their employment with the Township shall be permitted to utilize terminal leave prior to their actual retirement date with the following terms and conditions:
1. In order to qualify for terminal leave, the employee shall notify the Chief of Police or their designee of the employee’s election to utilize terminal leave time, no less than sixty (60) days prior to the commencement date of the terminal leave.
2. Terminal leave shall be granted only after a retirement date is fixed by the appropriate pension board.
3. Once an employee commences terminal leave, their decision to retire from Old Bridge Township shall become irrevocable.
4. An employee qualifying for terminal leave shall be permitted to convert up to thirty (30) accumulated sick leave days into “terminal leave days” which shall be utilized prior to the employee’s retirement date.
5. Once an employee commences terminal leave, he/she shall not accrue any additional sick time.
Relabel current Article XXIV “Management Rights” as Article XXV and current Article XXV “Duration of Agreement” as Article XXVI.
Dispatchers Union – IFPTE Local 196 TOWNSHIP OF OLD BRIDGE
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Signature / Title Signature / Title
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Date: Date:
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Witness Witness
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Date: Date:
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