MANCHESTER, N.H. – A request to enter into a side bar negotiation to provide an additional $25 a week in availability pay to Manchester Police Department investigators and investigative supervisors has been tabled by the Manchester Board of Mayor and Aldermen’s Committee on Human Resources and Insurance.
Manchester Police Department Chief Allen Aldenberg requested the modification to help compensate investigators that are called into work for off-duty emergency incidents. Currently, members of the SWAT Team receive such additional availability pay.
The money is separate from overtime pay, which is paid to officer for regular duty hours or other shifts once they reach 40 hours per week.
The additional pay is meant to compensate investigators for coming into work on days off or overnight shifts when emergencies arise, with investigators currently only available during the first and second shifts, but not the department’s late night third shift.
Currently, Aldenberg said that investigators are only on-duty during first shift or second shift, but may be required to return to work during overnight or weekend shifts despite scheduled time off.
According to Human Resources Director Lisa Drabik, Manchester Fire Department firefighters, lieutenants, and captains receive a comparable stipend equivalent to half a normal week’s pay and three fourths of a normal week’s pay for responding to critical incidents.
Members of the committee expressed concern over the fact that request came after the conclusion of collective bargaining negotiations with the Manchester Police Patrolmen’s Association and the Manchester Association of Police Supervisors nine months ago, with Aldenberg responding that police investigators are facing additional burnout not evident during negotiations.
There was also concern from committee members that providing the additional benefits would cause other city employee unions to seek additional benefits beyond what they are contractually provided.
Aldenberg told the committee that the issue of burnout and losing internal talent is endemic throughout all city departments and he did not want to be penalized for not waiting for other department heads asking for similar incentives on behalf of their employees. He added that his investigators originally asked for $35 a week as a stipend, but warned them to start with a request of $25.
Ward 10 Alderman Bill Barry led the motion to table the proposal, requesting additional information on how often investigators are called in for off-duty emergencies before he could make a decision.
