NORWAY — The Board of Selectmen and the police union have reached a three-year contract that calls for a 10 percent pay increase over the length of it.

According to the 24-page agreement, police officers will receive a 5 percent wage increase beginning Sept. 1, a 2.5 percent wage increase July 1, 2014, and another 2.5 percent wage increase on July 1, 2015.

Town Manager David Holt, who made the announcement Tuesday morning, said the bargaining unit demonstrated that Norway wages and benefits had fallen behind those of law enforcement agencies likely to employ Norway police officers.

“The select board is very pleased with the current status of the Police Department and wanted to preserve the current good service for Norway citizens,” he wrote in a statement released Tuesday morning.

Holt said the initial 5 percent increase reflects a “delay of some months” in pay increases to save the town some money. The following 2.5 percent increases are “quite typical” of other town employee contracts.

The entry pay scale for a police officer will be $17.06 by year three of the contract. The detective will receive an entry-level hourly wage of $24.10 by year three of the contract. The drug investigator will receive an additional $1 an hour increase, a one-time pay adjustment on Sept. 1, and  2.5 percent wage increases on July 1, 2014, and July 1, 2015. That position is paid $19.23, Holt said.

Additionally, the contract calls for the town paying 100 percent of the employees’ health insurance and 60 percent for family member coverage. If an employee demonstrates alternative coverage for spouse or dependents, the town will contribute $50 per week toward that coverage, according to the contract.

The agreement also calls for an additional $150 per year clothing allowance, mandatory overtime for open shifts, earned days of vacation based on shift worked up to 20 days for 10 years of service based on an eight-hour shift and 11 paid holidays. Employees will also receive $50 each month toward a health club membership.

The two sides had four negotiation sessions this year to reach the agreement.

Holt called the process “good negotiations” and noted that the union representatives presented “compelling” research that showed Norway officers are paid less than their peers in other area towns.

“We want to stay in the ballpark,” Holt said.

Holt said the union did an “excellent” job in showing why the town had fallen behind. The union made salary and benefit comparisons with towns such as Bridgton, Auburn, Paris, Oxford and the Oxford County Sheriff’s Office.

Police Chief Rob Federico said the department has only lost one officer since 2004, and that officer went to Auburn. The department has hired officers from Paris, Oxford and the Sheriff’s office in recent years – towns that were used in the survey to show the salary and benefit discrepancy.

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