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During a Yelm City Council meeting on Tuesday, June 10, the Yelm Police Sergeants and Officers Guild received an answer on the changes requested in its collective bargaining agreement (CBA) as councilors unanimously approved the contract between the City of Yelm and the guild.
Yelm Human Resources Specialist Karen Bennett noted that Yelm Police Union Membership voted to ratify the 2025-27 contract on May 23, 2025.
“I’m so excited to bring forward the last bargaining agreement for your approval, hopefully,” Bennett said during the meeting. “It is to authorize Mayor (Joe) DePinto to sign the collective bargaining agreement by and between the City of Yelm and Yelm Police Sergeants and Officers Guild — establishing a contract for the Yelm Police Union membership for the years 2025, 2026 and 2027.”
The HR specialist presented a list of non-monetary impacts and monetary impacts set to occur if council were to approve the CBA between the City of Yelm and the Yelm Police Sergeants and Officers Guild.
The list of non-monetary impacts includes:
• Article 7.5: Contract increases a required notice period for investigative interviews from 48 hours to 72 hours. This change allows for “more time for employees to review allegations and prepare with guild representation.”
• Article 12.4: Upon promotion, any officer’s seniority resets to shift vacation bidding with the new rank. If the officer returns to their previous rank, their original seniority in that rank is re-established
• Article 13.3: This agreement now defines a regular shift as all days listed on the annual shift schedule provided during the bid process. It also clarifies that employees will not be regularly scheduled for more than 2,080 hours per year. Additional language outlines notice requirements for shift changes, compensation for temporary shift bumps and options for those other adjustments that may be applied.
• Article 14.1: Leave hours, such as vacation, sick or paid leave, will now be counted as hours worked when calculating overtime eligibility. This change may result in more instances where employees qualify for overtime pay, even if it’s part of their regular shift, including pay level.
• Article 20.1: Employees earn eight hours for sick leave per month, with up to two full shifts per year now allowed for personal leave. That replaces a previous allotment of 16 hours.
The list of monetary impacts of the contract includes:
• Article 16.1: Clothing allowance increase from yearly allowance, from $1,100 to $1,500. New hires’ first clothing allowance increases from $1,100 to $2,200, and then $1,500 each year after.
• Article 19: Vacation accrual increases: Years one and two currently have 96 hours of vacation accrual, but will be increased to 100 hours in this new contract. Years three to four are at 104 hours, and would increase to 110 hours. Years five to nine are at 120 hours, and would increase to 130 hours. Years 10 to 14 are at 160 hours, which would increase to 170 hours. Years 15 to 19 are at 180 hours, and would increase to 190 hours. Twenty years and up were at 200 hours, and would increase to 210 hours.
• Article 13.1: The market wage adjustment for 2025 is 1.5% for all officer employees. General wage adjustment, which is a cost of living adjustment for 2025, is 5.5%. General wage adjustment for 2026 is 3%, and the general wage adjustment for 2027 is 3%.
• Article 30.4: Instructor premium pay was increased from $75 to $100 for training events up to five hours, and from $150 to $200 for training six hours or longer. It applies to certified instructors as directed by the employer.
• Article 30.47: Retention pay awards long-term service with percentage increases of above the base salary. Existing levels at five years is 2% and 10 years is 3%. They remain unchanged. Fifteen years was 3.5% and will move to 4%. Twenty years was 4.5% and would increase to 5%. Years 25 and up was at 5.5% and would increase to 6%.
