Department of Public Safety officers will receive a $2.50 per hour pay raise as a result of an agreement between the university and Allied International Union, which represents DPS. The new three-year contract also increases the starting salary for new officers and provides new promotional opportunities, according to Andy Pino, Georgetown’s director of media relations.
“Earlier this month, the members of the Allied International Union ratified the university’s proposal for a three-year agreement that offers substantial pay increases for the university’s public safety officers,” Pino said. “The increases place the university’s security force among the best paid unarmed safety officers in the D.C. metro area.”
Negotiations for a new contract started last August. Allied International Union initially sought a $4 per hour salary increase for officers.
Under the new agreement, all newly hired DPS officers will be paid a starting salary ranging from $17 to $22 per hour depending on the officer’s experience and training, Pino said. Before the most recent agreement was reached, officers’ starting pay was $15.60 per hour.
Many students, particularly members of Georgetown Solidarity Committee, rallied in support of DPS’ push for higher pay, presenting an open letter to University President John J. DeGioia as negotiations continued in November. The students argued that a wage increase would help improve officer retention rate and increase the size of the DPS staff by attracting more candidates to Georgetown. Since the last set of negotiations between the university and DPS representatives in 2007, which resulted in a $2.50 per hour salary increase, former and current DPS officers have expressed dissatisfaction with their pay and training.
“The new agreement between DPS officers and Georgetown represents a step toward ending the revolving-door process that has occurred in DPS, and has been a detriment to student safety and has impeded the fair compensation of DPS officers in both pay and respect for their hard work,” said David Schwartz (SFS ’12), a member of Georgetown Solidarity Committee who was involved in the negotiations.
DPS will continue to seek more benefits in the next round of negotiations in 2013, according to Schwartz.
“Although the agreement for fair pay is reward for the efforts of students and the DPS officers working in solidarity, there is still room for improvement,” Schwartz said. “There is much work to be done concerning the opportunities for career advancement within DPS and cutbacks on investigative positions.”
Officer Victor Johnson, the DPS officer in charge of negotiations, could not be reached for comment. DPS personnel declined to comment.
