City, guild headed for mediation April 30

Mediation between the Aberdeen Police Officers Guild and the city is scheduled for Wednesday, April 30, City Attorney Eric Nelson said Thursday.

The process is not open to the public or press, he said. Nelson explained the process in email:

“For the most part, the guild will be in one room and our team will be in another. The mediator will go back and forth. No statements made in mediation may be recorded or used in any other proceedings. If it works, the end result will be an agreement which will then be discussed and approved in public. If it doesn’t, the mediator will certify the issues still in dispute for interest arbitration.”

One of the points of contention is the number of hours and days off worked by most officers. Currently, patrol officers, the largest segment in the guild, work four days on and have four days off. Chief Bob Torgerson wants to change that to five days on and two days off, according to Guild President Kristi Lougheed.