Measure funds police, GEO contracts

by Sarah R. Buchholz, Chronicle staff

ov. Paul Cellucci on Dec. 28 signed budget supplements to fund extrajurisdictional pay for University Police officers and an increase in the stipends of campus teaching assistants, according to Sharon Kennaugh, associate director of State Government Relations. Kennaugh said the bill is written to make the funding available more rapidly than usual.

     The $377,000 of extrajurisdictional pay for UMass Police is in lieu of an educational incentive the International Brotherhood of Police Officers locals 432A and 432B had originally negotiated with the University.

     "There was an objection to funding the incentive, so this compromise was reached," said Jack Luippold, director of Public Safety. "We patrol University property in other towns, and this is in payment for those responsibilities." Luippold said the increase also covers work done on other University campuses.

     "I still think our officers should be receiving the same educational incentive pay as other police officers in the commonwealth receive," he said. "The funding of this compromise at least allowed for these contract negotiations to be resolved."

     The contract expired June 30, 2000, and negotiations for a new contract are scheduled to begin Jan. 8, according to police union local secretary Chris La-Flamme. The increase amounts to approximately $5,000 per officer spread over the two-and-a-half year contract, he said.

     "It's a good thing," he said of the funding. "It's too bad that it's so long in coming."

     Graduate Student Senate president Tom Taaffe expressed similar feelings about the $1,595,000 slated to fund raises for teaching assistants in FY01.

     "I think it's good, but it took too long," he said.

     The funding will raise the minimum graduate stipend by about $335 and provide other increases, according to associate provost Susan Pearson.

     Still on Cellucci's desk as of Jan. 3 was a supplemental spending bill that includes $10 million in matching funds to encourage private fund-raising efforts at state colleges and universities.