Wichita and Teamsters agree on airport police and fire contract

Police and firefighters will get raises of about 3 percent a year under a contract approved Tuesday between the Wichita City Council and the Teamsters Union.

The new labor pact will give the employees a 2.5 percent raise immediately and an additional half-percent cost of living increase June 3, according to city documents.

The raises are expected to cost the city $43,671 in additional salary.

Airport Director Victor White said the contract will cover 24 employees, all of whom are cross-trained as both police and firefighters.

Next year, the employees will get an additional 2 percent cost of living raise plus merit increases. Officers at the top of the pay scale will get a one-time $500 bonus.

In 2019, they’ll get another 1.5 percent cost of living, plus merit raises. Top-of-scale officers will get a one-time $750 bonus.

The union employees will also have opportunities to earn about an extra $70 a month by qualifying as an emergency medical technician.

They can also get extra pay for working off-duty, at time and a half rates, providing security for the Transportation Safety Administration or aviation manufacturing companies.

This story was originally published March 7, 2017 at 11:01 AM with the headline "Wichita and Teamsters agree on airport police and fire contract."