Amanda Purcell is reporting for Columbia-Greene Media the Hudson Common Council December 17, approved a new four-year collective bargaining agreement between the city and Local 3979 of the Law Enforcement Officers Union, Local 82. The contract was passed by resolution not local law. The new agreement includes pay increases for the rank and file during each of the next four years: 1.5 percent in 2020 and in 2021; 2.5 percent in 2022 and 2023. The current base pay for a Hudson police officer is $51,800 after one year service. The new agreement also mandates a $1,000 raise for the communications specialists, and five weeks of vacation after 12 years of service. Under the previous contract, they were entitled to four weeks of vacation time after 10 years of service. Four full-time communications specialists are employed by the department. Also under the new agreement, officers assigned to train probationary officers will be compensated one hour in overtime pay for each eight-hour period spent training the new officer. Read the full story at HudsonValley360 [dot] com.