New York State Police sergeants will begin working 10-hour shifts under a new labor agreement what will result in cost savings and "better supervisory coverage," officials said.

Sergeants wil shift from eight-hour shifts, which will "provide savings for the state while at the same time providing better supervisory coverage," says Thomas H. Mungeer, president of the Police Benevolent Association of New York State Troopers.

Under terms of the agreement, sergeants receive additional days off. However, they will be scheduled to work more hours in a year. The new schedule is expected to help eliminate scheduling gaps, which during a testing phase saved over 43 percent in overtime costs.

"During this fiscal crisis and news of the state's labor-management conflicts, it's rewarding to be able to sit down and amicably resolve a situation through collective bargaining that's beneficial to the sergeants of the state police, the division of state police, and the people of the state of New York," Mungeer said in a release.

The agreement, in part, answers Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo's call for cost savings from state employee unions, said State Police Superintendent Joseph A. D'Amico in a release.

"Working collaboratively with the PBA, we arrived at a solution which takes into account New York's difficult economic situation to maximize resources without creating additional costs," said D'Amico.

The PBA represents nearly 3,400 uniformed members of the New York State Police from the rank of trooper through the rank of major.

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