Austin Reaches Tentative Labor Agreement with Police Union Amid Staffing Crisis

The Austin Police Association (APA) and the City of Austin have tentatively reached a labor agreement, which has the potential to resolve the uncertainty that has plagued the police force for more than a year. 

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Austin police officers were unable to participate in citywide increases that other employees received for more than a year due to the absence of a contract. The city council approved temporary pay increases to resolve the gap while negotiations were ongoing.

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The significance of competitive pay in resolving the department's personnel crisis was underscored by APA President Michael Bullock. "When the pay has been lacking, that’s when we start to see more people wanting to leave," Bullock asserted.

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A $2,000 signing incentive for officers and a 28% increase in base pay are included in the new agreement. The agreement was endorsed by Cleo Petricek, co-founder of Save Austin Now, who attributed the high cost of overtime to personnel shortages. "It’s better, cheaper, and more efficient to have a police contract so we can keep the officers," according to Petricek.

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The previous negotiations were halted when the APA requested a 12% pay increase in the first year of a five-year contract. In response, the city proposed a 7% increase in the first year and a 6% increase in the second.

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Nevertheless, Chas Moore, the founder of the Austin Justice Coalition, expressed apprehension regarding the financial implications of the contract, stating, "This price tag on the police union contract is really steep and may limit future funding."

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The new agreement also includes police oversight provisions that were approved by voters under Prop A, which were a point of contention in previous negotiations.

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