HomeMy WebLinkAboutResolution No. 047-26 - Resolution - Collective Bargaining Agreement 2026-28 LELS Local 526 Public Safety Telecommunicators
RESOLUTION
Approving the Collective Bargaining Agreement with Law Enforcement Labor
Services (LELS), Local 526 – Public Safety Telecommunicators (Union) for the
calendar years 2026-28.
WHEREAS, the Union and the City of Rochester are parties to an existing Collective
Bargaining Agreement (CBA) that expired on December 31, 2025; and
WHEREAS, representatives of the Union and representatives of the City of Rochester
have negotiated a three-year Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) for the term of
January 1, 2026 - December 31, 2028; and
WHEREAS, Attachment A summarizes the changes negotiated to the existing CBA
between the parties.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Common Council of the City of
Rochester approves and ratifies the attached changes to the 2026-2028 CBA with Law
Enforcement Labor Services (LELS), Local 526 – Public Safety Telecommunicators.
PASSED AND ADOPTED BY THE COMMON COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF
ROCHESTER, MINNESOTA, THIS __________ DAY OF _______________, 2026.
___________________________________
PRESIDENT OF SAID COMMON COUNCIL
ATTEST: __________________________
CITY CLERK
APPROVED THIS _____ DAY OF ______________________, 2026.
___________________________________
MAYOR OF SAID CITY
(Seal of the City of
Rochester, Minnesota)
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ATTACHMENT A
2026-2028 Law Enforcement Labor Services, Local 526 – Public Safety
Telecommunicators
Summary of Collective Bargaining Agreement Changes
This Agreement is entered into between the City of Rochester, Minnesota, (hereinafter
referred to as the City), and Law Enforcement Labor Services, Inc., Local 526, representing
Public Safety Telecommunicators (hereinafter referred to as Public Safety
Telecommunicators or Dispatchers.
7. EMPLOYMENT
A. Probationary Period
All new employees covered under this Agreement shall serve a probationary
period of six (6) months. In the event the Employer requires more time to
assess an employee’s ability to perform the duties of their position, the
Employer may, at its discretion, extend the probationary period for an additional
period of time, not to exceed an additional six (6) months. Employees in their
probationary period are considered “at will” and may be terminated at the sole
discretion of the City at any time during the probationary period without
recourse to the grievance process.
During the probationary period, employees have no seniority rights, but they
shall be subject to all of the other clauses of the Agreement. All employees who
are retained beyond the probationary periods as defined above shall attain the
status of an employee and time spent in the probationary period shall be
included when computing their seniority.
B. Outside Employment
No employee covered by this Agreement will engage in any outside employment
or business, which might hinder their impartial or objective performance of their
duties. More than an average of twenty (20) hours per week of outside
employment shall be excessive unless the person is on vacation leave. The
employee must provide notice and obtain permission from the Public Safety
Communications Manager.
8. HOURS OF WORK
D. Call Back. When it is necessary to call an off-duty dispatcher employee back to
work, the dispatcher employee will be paid a minimum of four (4) hours at the
regular straight time hourly rate of pay or at a rate of one and one-half (1 ½) the
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regular straight hourly rate of pay for actual time worked, whichever is greater.
An extension or early report to a regularly scheduled shift does not qualify the
employee for the four- (4) hour minimum.
G. Whenever an off-duty dispatcher employee is compelled to appear in court on
matters relating to Communications Center business, the dispatcher employee
shall receive a minimum of three (3) hours pay at one and one-half (1 ½) times
the employee’s base rate of pay. An extension or early report to a regularly
scheduled shift does not qualify the employee for the three (3) hour minimum.
1. On-Call Pay. Employees covered by this Agreement will be considered to be on-
call when specifically assigned by the Chief of Police, or their designee, to be on-
call for the purpose of being immediately available to report to work. Effictive the
first full pay period following ratification of the successor agreement by both
parties, Aan employee will be compensated at the rate of one dollar thirty
centsfour dollars ($1.304.00) per hour when assigned to be on-call for these
specific circumstances. An employee called in will be compensated based on the
applicable base rate of pay or, if applicable, the overtime rate; if called in, the on-
call rate of one dollar thirty centsfour dollars ($1.304.00) per hour is no longer
applicable. Voluntary assignments do not constitute on-call status. Failure to
report to work when assigned to on-call status may result in disciplinary action.
12. HOLIDAYS
To be eligible for the benefits provided by this Article, employment must be
scheduled to last more than twelve (12) months and twenty (20) hours per week.
Eligible employees working more than twenty (20) hours, but less than forty (40)
hours per week will earn pro-rated holiday benefits.
B. Work performed on the above holidays by eligible employees shall be paid for at
one and one-half (1 ½) times their base hourly rate in addition to the holiday
payhours credited towards their vacation accrual. In lieu of receiving the one-half
(1/2) in pay, employees may elect to bank the one-half (1/2) as compensatory
time.
13. VACATIONS
To be eligible for the benefits provided by this Article, employment must be scheduled
to last more than twelve (12) months and twenty (20) hours per week. Eligible
employees working more than twenty (20) hours, but less than forty (40) hours per
week will earn pro-rated vacation benefits.
A. Employees may not be granted any vacation until they have been employed for
three (3) months, or upon completion of the initial training period, whichever
comes first.
B.A. Employees shall earn and be eligible to use vacation benefits from the start of
their employment.
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C.B. No vacation benefits shall accrue be paid to an employee terminating who is
terminated within six (6) months of their employment date.
D.C. The supervisor shall establish vacation schedules with the first consideration
given to the efficient operation of the Department and second consideration to the
wishes of employees as to vacation time. Vacations may not be taken without
advance approval of management.
E.D. When an employee is on vacation and requires a physician's care or is
hospitalized for a minimum of three (3) consecutive days, the employee may
reschedule their vacation days lost providing they submit written evidence that
they would have been unable to use the vacation as desired.
F. Upon termination in good standing, disability, or death, non-probationary
employees shall be paid for their accrued vacation hours.
E. Upon separation from employment, any unused accrued vacation balance for
employees with more than six (6) months, but less than ten (10) years of service
will be paid out as taxable earnings. For separating employees with ten (10) or
more years of regular full-time or regular part-time employment with the City of
Rochester, the City will convert the employee’s entire unused accrued vacation
balance by multiplying the balance by the hourly rate of pay upon separation.
This amount will be deposited to an individual Minnesota State Retirement
System (MSRS) Health Care Savings Plan (HCSP).
When an employee has applied for and been granted an irrevocable waiver of
participation by MSRS and provided to the Employer written documentation of
such waiver; amounts payable for unused accrued vacation in the event of an
eligible employee’s separation or permanent disability as specified above shall
be paid to the employee rather than to the MSRS Health Care Savings Plan.
Such payments to the employee shall be subject to normal payroll withholdings
as required by law.
15. SICK LEAVE AND PAID FAMILY MEDICAL LEAVE (PFML)
C. Sick leave also may be used as outlined in the City’s organizational Sick Leave
policy, with advanced supervisory notice.
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D. No sick leave shall be granted to employees during the first (1) month of their
employment, but shall accrue from the start of their employmentSick leave shall
accrue and employees shall be eligible to use accrued sick leave from the start
of their employment. All regular, part-time employees working twenty (20) or
more hours, but less than forty (40) hours per week will accrue pro-rated sick
leave.
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H. Effective January 1, 2026, the documentation provisions referenced in the
Earned Sick and Safe Time Act, MS 181.9447, Subd 3, shall not apply to paid
leave available to an employee for absences from work in excess of the
minimum amount required be Earned Sick and Safe Time (ESST), as such
absences are covered in this section and City policy.
I. Employees shall be granted family medical leave according to State and
Federal law.
H.J. Consistent with MS. 181.9447, Subd 12, Public Safety Telecommunicators
must be ready and available to respond to public emergencies or weather
events, and therefore may not use Earned Sick and Safe Time (ESST) for the
“closure of the employee’s place of business due to weather or other public
emergency or an employee’s need to care for a family member whose school
or place of care has been closed due to weather or other public emergency.”
This exception is necessary for these positions because they have preassigned
or foreseeable work duties requiring their response to the public emergency or
weather event to ensure the City maintains minimum staffing requirements to
provide essential public services.
I.K. Effective January 1, 2026, the Employer and Employee will split the
premiums for the Minnesota Paid Family and Medical Leave (PFML) on a 50/50
basis with the employee share payable through payroll deductions pursuant to
MS 268B.14.
UNUSED SICK LEAVE
To qualify for any provision of this Article, Unused Sick Leave, the employee must be
an active employee who has accrued ten (10) or more years of continuous full-time
or part-time regular service with the City of Rochester.
For employees hired prior to January 1, 2013: When an employee terminates
employment with the City of Rochester, the City will convert forty (40) percent of the
employee’s unused sick leave balance to be deposited to an individual Minnesota
State Retirement System (MSRS) Health Care Savings Plan (HCSP).
The dollar value of accumulated sick leave hours will be equal to forty (40) percent
of the total accumulated sick leave hours at the time of separation. Regular part-time
employees (those regularly scheduled for twenty \[20\] to thirty-nine \[39\] hours per
week) and who are not designated as temporary or seasonal will be eligible to convert
forty (40) percent of their accumulated sick leave.
For employees hired on or after January 1, 2013: All employees, except those
who are discharged for cause, shall be eligible to convert forty (40) percent of the
employee’s first twelve hundred (1200) hours of accumulated but unused sick leave
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balance upon separation of employment. This amount shall be deposited to an
individual Minnesota State Retirement System (MSRS) Health Care Savings Plan
(HCSP) and calculated at the employee’s regular rate of pay at time of separation.
In case of permanent disability as determined by PERA of an active employee, an
amount equal to one hundred (100) percent of unused sick leave will be deposited in
a MSRS Health Care Savings Plan for the use of the employee as governed by
MSRS rules. In case of the death of an active employee who has a dependent(s),
an amount equal to one hundred (100) percent of the unused sick leave balance will
be paid in cash (less required State and Federal withholdings) to the dependent(s).
When an employee has applied for and been granted an irrevocable waiver of
participation by MSRS and provided to the Employer written documentation of
such waiver; amounts payable for unused sick leave in the event of an eligible
employee’s separation or permanent disability as specified above shall be paid to
the employee rather than to the MSRS Health Care Savings Plan. Such payments
to the employee shall be subject to normal payroll withholdings as required by law.
17. HEALTH AND DENTAL COVERAGE, LIFE INSURANCE AND OPPORTUNITY
TO PURCHASE LONG-TERM DISABILITY INSURANCE
To be eligible for the benefits provided by this Article, employment must be scheduled
to last more than twelve (12) months and twenty (20) hours per week. Eligible
employees working more than twenty (20) hours, but less than forty (40) hours per
week will earn pro-rated insurance benefits.
B. The City will provide group medical insurance to eligible employees and pay a
portion of the total premium as follows:
Medical Plan City’s Monthly Premium Contribution*
Basic Medical Plan Tier Effective Effective Effective
1/13/202320220242027 20252028
6
Employee Only 88.0087.00% 87.5087.00% 87.00%
Employee + Spouse 84.5083.50% 84.0083.50% 83.50%
Employee + Child(ren) 84.5083.50% 84.0083.50% 83.50%
Family 84.5083.50% 84.0083.50% 83.50%
High Deductible Plan Effective Effective 2024 Effective 2025
1/13/2023202
6
Employee Only 88.0087.00% 87.5087.00% 87.00%
Employee + Spouse 84.5083.50% 84.0083.50% 83.50%
Employee + Child(ren) 84.5083.50% 84.0083.50% 83.50%
Family 84.5083.50% 84.0083.50% 83.50%
*The employee’s share of the premium will be paid through a payroll deduction. The employee
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contribution towards the cost of coverage(s) is divided among twenty-four (24) pay periods. No
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payroll deduction is taken on the third (3) pay period in any month.
C. The City shall contribute the following amounts to a Health Savings Account
(HSA) for eligible employees selecting the High-Deductible Health Plan
coverage:
High-Deductible Medical Plan Annual Contribution to HSA*
Employee Only $1,400.00
Employee + Spouse $2,800.00
Employee + Child(ren) $2,800.00
Family $2,800.00
*The annual contribution to the HSA account is paid over 24 pay periods.
J. Continuation of coverage will be available as provided by Federal and/or State
law and other provisions of this Agreement.
18. OPTION TO PURCHASE CITY-SPONSORED HEALTH COVERAGE, DENTAL
COVERAGE AND/OR LIFE INSURANCE AFTER RETIREMENT
An employee who retires from regular full-time employment with the City of
Rochester may continue to participate in the City-sponsored benefits the employee
had immediately prior to retirement pursuant to state and federal law, the City's
Organizational policies, as well as benefit plan documents. Spouses of deceased
retirees will be allowed to continue coverage under state and federal law.
An employee who retires from regular full-time employment with the City of
Rochester may continue to participate indefinitely in the City-sponsored health and/or
dental insurance group that the employee participated in immediately prior to
retirement. The retiree may receive dependent coverage only if they received
dependent coverage immediately prior to retirement. A retiree who initially selects
dependent coverage may later drop dependent coverage while retaining individual
coverage, but the retiree may not drop individual coverage and retain dependent
coverage. City-sponsored life insurance may be continued until the retiree’s seventy-
th
fifth (75) birthday.
In order to retain City-sponsored health and/or dental coverage or life insurance, the
retiree and their spouse, if applicable, must authorize the requisite deductions from
a checking or savings account in the amount that is designated by the City and may
be changed from time to time through written notification from the City.
If a retired employee dies, the surviving spouse may continue to participate in the
City-sponsored health and/or dental insurance group that the surviving spouse
participated in at the time of the retired employee’s death. The surviving spouse must
authorize the requisite deductions from a checking or savings account in the amount
that is designated by the City and may be changed from time to time through written
notification from the City.
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For the retiree, until age sixty-five (65), the amount of life insurance coverage which
can be purchased is any amount, in thousand dollar increments, between a minimum
of ten thousand dollars ($10,000) and a maximum of the amount of coverage
available to the employee on the date of retirement from the City. Beginning on the
th
retiree’s sixty-fifth (65) birthday, the amount of life insurance coverage is limited by
the underwriter to ten thousand dollars ($10,000).
Any life-time maximum benefit designated in the City’s health coverage plan
document continues to be applied after retirement.
27. TERM OF AGREEMENT
A. The Agreement shall be effective as of January 1, 20232026, and shall remain
in effect through December 31, 20252028.
29. WAGES
A schedule of hourly base wages for all bargaining unit positions is found in
“Appendix A” of this Agreement.
20232026: Effective the first full pay period of 20232026, the schedule of hourly base
wages shall increase by two four percent (4%). Effective the pay period beginning
July 13, 2023, the schedule of hourly base wages shall increase by two dollars
($2.00) per hour, to reflect a market adjustment.
20242027: Effective the first full pay period of 20242027, the schedule of hourly base
wages shall increase by three percent (3%).
20252028: Effective the first full pay period of 20252028, the schedule of hourly base
wages shall increase by four two percent (2%).
Step adjustments are based on acceptable performance. There shall be no step
progression after December 31, 20252028, except as may be negotiated in the
successor Collective Bargaining Agreement.
Employees must be in active pay status as of the date of full ratification of the
successor agreement in order to receive the wage increase for 2026. Retroactive
pay will be on base wage adjustments and step increases only, effective the first full
pay period in January 2026.
The Chief of Police and the Human Resource Director have the authority to place a
newly-hired Public Safety Telecommunicator up to Step D of the wage grid,
Appendix A, based on experience and other relevant factors.
At the discretion of the Chief of Police and the Human Resources Director, an
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employee’s wage rate may be increased in order to maintain internal equity or due
to market competitiveness.
30. SHIFT DIFFERENTIAL
A. All employees who work between 6:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m. shall receive one
dollar and seventy-five cents ($1.75)a shift differential in addition to their base
hourly rate for all hours worked within this period.:
2026: The shift differential shall increase to three dollars and fifty cents ($3.50)
per hour, effective the start of the first pay period following full ratification of the
successor agreement.
2027: The shift differential shall increase to four dollars ($4.00) per hour, effective
the start of the first full pay period in 2027 and continue thereafter.
31. PART-TIME EMPLOYEES – VACATION, SICK LEAVE AND HOLIDAY
ACCRUAL
B. Vacation benefits shall be prorated for any part-time employee based upon the
full-time equivalency ratio defined above in accordance with the vacation
schedule as defined in Article 13, paragraph “G” of this Agreement.
C. Part-time employees shall receive holiday and sick leave benefits each pay
period in the same manner as full-time employees under Article 12 “A” and Article
15 “E” respectively, except they will be proportional based upon the following
formula: four (4) hours X FTE ratio.
33. DURATION OF AGREEMENTSIGNATURES
This Agreement is entered into between the City of Rochester and the LELS Local
#526, Public Safety Telecommunicators(911 Dispatchers).
OTHER - Delete Obsolete MOU/MOA’s, Contract Clean-up
Renew FLSA MOA by updating dates.
Delete Interim On-call MOA.
Delete MSRS Contributions and Continuation of Coverage MOA.
Delete PFML MOA.
Eliminate he/she pronouns and other grammatical errors.
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APPENDIX A
Schedule of Hourly Base Rates of Pay
2026 - 4% General Increase
Start/A6 Mo/B1 Yr/C2 Yrs/D3 Yrs/E4 Yrs/F5 Yrs/G
$ 32.33 $ 33.84 $ 35.43 $ 37.10 $ 38.83 $ 40.63 $ 42.63
2027 - 3% General Increase
Start/A6 Mo/B1 Yr/C2 Yrs/D3 Yrs/E4 Yrs/F5 Yrs/G
$ 33.30 $ 34.86 $ 36.49 $ 38.21 $ 39.99 $ 41.85 $ 43.91
2028 - 2% General Increase
Start/A6 Mo/B1 Yr/C2 Yrs/D3 Yrs/E4 Yrs/F5 Yrs/G
$ 33.97 $ 35.56 $ 37.22 $ 38.97 $ 40.79 $ 42.69 $ 44.79
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