Police union, city agree on 3 percent raises
Baltimore police officers secured a 3 percent pay raise and a $500 bonus in a short-term contract the union ratified Thursday after lengthy negotiations with Mayor Catherine Pugh’s administration that are expected to begin again within weeks.
The deal between the city and the Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 3 does not require officers to make any concessions such as agreeing to greater civilian oversight.
Pugh’s office and the police union confirmed details of the deal Friday, a day after officers ratified the agreement after casting votes all day at their lodge. The pay raise is retroactive to July1, 2017, for the new contract, which expires June 30.
The contract talks have been going on for more than a year and officers had gone without a pay raise since the last contract expired in June 2016. Officers rejected a previous proposal and city officials hired a new negotiating team in January.
The protracted talks had caused bitterness between officers and city officials, which spilled out into other disputes — including one about whether the city would cover legal payouts for officers in some misconduct and brutality cases.
Labor Commissioner Deborah MooreCarter said the deal was struck to secure “labor peace” and that negotiations for the coming year will begin almost immediately.
“We already know what we want and we’re going to fight hard to get Moore-Carter said.
Lt. Kenny Butler, the police union’s vice president and a negotiating team member, said Friday that more than 90 percent of sergeants, lieutenants and officers voted to ratify the contract on Thursday.
Butler said the deal was the result of a “tough negotiation,” and represents a gesture of good faith from both the union and the city heading into more robust negotiations for the next contract.
The short-term deal does not resolve two serious sticking points in negotiations: The shift schedule officers are required to work and the inclusion of civilians on internal department disciplinary boards. it,”