Anchorage, AK - Police union agrees to wage concessions

BY MEGAN BALDINO

KTUU - ANCHORAGE

"ANCHORAGE, Alaska -- The Anchorage Police Union has agreed to a major wage concession totaling millions of dollars over the next five years.

The city assumed it would happen and even used it as a means to balance its' 2009 budget.

After weeks of meetings and negotiations, the Anchorage Police Department Employees Association says it has agreed to take a three percent rollback on wages in the first year of a five year contract signed last December.

The plan had an overwhelming approval with 293 in favor and 83 against.

'I think the police employees felt compelled to meet the public half-way with this shortfall,' said APDEA President Derek Hsieh. 'One of the commitments we made early in this contract was that if there was a problem we would come forward and do what we could to help and I believe that we have done that here.'"

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