Mayor Eric Adams on Wednesday will announce a tentative labor agreement that gives roughly 23,000 uniformed NYPD officers yearly raises as high as 4% and a pilot program that would enable them to work as many as 60 fewer days a year in return for longer shifts.
The eight-year deal with the Police Benevolent Association, New York City’s largest police union, marks the second major labor agreement reached by Adams — and the first with a uniformed union.
“They place themselves on the frontline,” Adams said about police officers during a news conference at City Hall. He said it was only the third voluntary contract with the union in 30 years.
The proposed settlement resolves protracted negotiations that had gone into arbitration, and helps Adams — a former police officer who has prioritized public safety — mend a relationship between City Hall and the NYPD that had become strained under his predecessor Bill de Blasio.
The deal, which must still be ratified by union members, also comes at a moment when NYPD officers have been leaving the force in record numbers. The union has cited the search for better pay as one of the reasons for the exodus.
The agreement notably raises starting salaries for starting uniformed police officers from $42,500 to $55,000.
Patrick Lynch, the long-serving leader of the PBA, had been under mounting pressure to secure a contract for his members, who have not had raises since 2016. For the first time in years, he is facing a challenger this year in his re-election bid.
The scheduling accommodation was long desired by union members. Under the proposal, officers will be asked to increase their shifts from roughly 9 hours to as long as 12 hours. In exchange, they will have between 32 to 60 fewer work days a year.
The plan, which is intended to give officers more time to recharge between shifts, has been used by police departments in other cities.
The pilot will be rolled out in two police precincts in the Bronx.
The arrangement is not…
Read the full article here
Leave a Reply