AUSTIN (Talk1370.com) -- Negotiations between the City of Austin and the Austin Police Association have reached an agreement in principle on a new four-year labor contract, officials announced late Wednesday night.
"This is the product of over a year of work as both sides have worked diligently to arrive at this agreement,” Austin Police Chief Joseph Chacon said at a press conference to announce the agreement. “Both the association and the city have considered and weighed all the issues, and we find ourselves with an agreement that - once approved - will both provide significant enhancements to the pay and benefits of the police officers, as well as powerful improvements to the police department operations."
The agreement includes a 14% pay increase for APD officers over the four year period, representing a total value of $64.7 million.
Hiring goals for the city are set out in the agreement - adding 200 officers by the end of 2024 and an additional 200 officers by the end of 2025. If those goals are not met, the agreement calls for an additional 1.5 percent increase for existing officers each year. The agreement also includes an additional step pay increase for officers who have reached 23 years of service.
The agreement also includes provisions that allow the City’s Office of Police Oversight (OPO) to investigate complaints against police officers during both the preliminary and formal investigative process. It will allow OPO to be in the room, asking questions and getting answers from the officers.
"The Austin Police Association is not afraid of oversight,” said APA president Thomas Villarreal. "We believe very strongly that the citizens of Austin, the City of Austin itself, the department, and our members are all better off under contract. We’ve worked for almost a year to negotiate a fair deal for our people, and a deal that’s fair for the City. And I think that we got there."
The new agreement is subject to City Council approval. The current agreement between APA and the city ends on March 31, following a six month extension to allow negotiations to continue.
