It's been four long years but the town of Bridgewater and its Police Association have finally reached a collective agreement. The six-year agreement includes a wage increase that will see a police officer's salary jump to $74,700 a year from $70,807 on April 1. The police will also contribute nine percent of their base salary towards the pension plan, with the town matching that figure. Chief John Collyer says the agreement keeps Bridgewater competitive with similar sized police departments. Collyer says there are 23 officers and eight civilians with the department that fall under the agreement. He says the new agreement provides long-term stability for policing in the town of Bridgewater. Wage increases for Bridgewater Police are as followed :
- April 1, 2008 - $63,558
- April 1, 2009 - $66,100
- April 1, 2010 - $68,744
- April 1, 2011 - $70,807
- April 1, 2012 - $74,700
- April 1, 2013 - $76,941
The new collective agreement is retroactive to April 1, 2008, and expires March 31, 2014.
