Fort Myers police union announces contract impasse and warns of officer departures

Sergeant Jari Sanders, speaking for the Fort Myers Police union, told the council Nov. 3 that the union has reached impasse with the city in its contract negotiations and warned that officers are leaving for other agencies.

"After waiting 10 months for that pay study...we were yet to receive a single offer that even reached the 40th percentile of those Bolton studies," Sanders said, referring to a market pay study the union commissioned. He said the union offered actuarial alternatives to pension changes but felt pension items had been used as leverage in negotiations (00:58:23).

Sanders reported the department has lost 10 officers since June and said membership has "lost all faith in the city manager's office, the financial director's office, and the human resources department." He asked council to act to move the negotiations forward and to reward officers for their service. "We are looking to reward the men and women of this police department for the hard work they've put in," Sanders said (00:59:30).

Council did not take immediate action on collective-bargaining terms during the meeting; Sanders said the union would engage the public forum to press its case and noted members were seeking opportunities with nearby agencies such as Cape Coral.