Posting Language
Title
Discussion and possible action to ratify a proposed five-year Meet and Confer Agreement with the Austin Police Association relating to wages, hours, and terms and conditions of employment for police officers of the Austin Police Department. Related to Item #48.
De
Lead Department
City Manager’s Office.
Fiscal Note
Funding for year one of the contract agreement is available in the Fiscal Year 2024-2025 General Fund Operating Budget. This item is related to Council Item No. XXXXX-XXX, which transfers the appropriation from the General Fund Operating Budget to the Austin Police Department’s Operating Budget.
For More Information:
Sarah Griffin, Chief Labor Relations Officer, (512) 974-4986.
Additional Backup Information:
In 1995, the Texas Legislature amended state civil service law (Texas Local Government Code Chapter 143 (Chapter 143)) to allow the City of Austin to negotiate and enter into written agreements with firefighters and police officers regarding wages, salaries, rates of pay, hours of work, other terms and conditions of employment, or other personnel issues.
Under Chapter 143, the “manager or chief executive” and “the police chief or fire chief, as appropriate,” designates a team to represent the public employer to negotiate an agreement. This process resulted in a Tentative Meet and Confer Agreement (Tentative Agreement) for the City Council and the Austin Police Association’s (APA) membership to consider.
In accordance with the ratification process set forth in Chapter 143, the City Manager submits this Tentative Agreement for ratification by Council. Upon approval by Council, this Tentative Agreement will be voted on by the APA’s membership for approval. The Tentative Agreement achieves key City goals, including compliance with Austin Police Oversight Act, as certified by the City Attorney, and provides pay enhancements while staying within current financial constraints.
On September 25, 2024, the City made the Tentative Agreement available to the public for review. Additionally, staff developed a presentation and provided a comprehensive overview of the Tentative Agreement on October 8, 2024 during a Council work session that included details on the key provisions of the Tentative Agreement. Both the presentation and the Tentative Agreement are attached as backup.
Economic Provisions:
• Base Wages
o FY 2024-2025: 8.0%
o FY 2025-2026: 6.0%
o FY 2026-2027: 5.0%
o FY 2027-2028: 5.0%
o FY 2028-2029: 4.0%
• Patrol Stipend - (Effective with the first pay period after October 1, 2025; Officers, Corporals, and Sergeants who are assigned to a Patrol Division)
o $175 per month 4-Years Seniority
o $200 per month 8-Years Seniority
o $250 per month 12-Years Seniority
• Field Training Officer Stipend
o 4.5% of Police Officer Pay Step 10 per month
• Mental Health Stipend
o Effective January 1, 2025, this pay shall no longer be in effect.
• Bilingual Stipend
o Increase of $25 per month for Spanish-speaking officers
• Shift Differential Night Shift
o Increase from $300 per month to $350 per month
• On Call Status
o 2 hours of additional time for a total of 10 hours of comp time
• Military Leave
o 30 additional hours for a total of 150 hours
• Thanksgiving Holiday
o Paid at time and a half for hours actually worked
• One-Time Lump Sum Payment of $2,000 in FY 2024-2025
• Budget Projections:
|
Budget Year |
Annual Projection |
5-Year Cumulative Estimate |
|
|
|
|
|
FY 2024-2025 |
$16.6 million |
$16.6 million |
|
FY 2025-2026 |
$15.1 million |
$31.7 million |
|
FY 2026-2027 |
$11.9 million |
$43.6 million |
|
FY 2027-2028 |
$12.4 million |
$56.0 million |
|
FY 2028-2029 |
$10.4 million |
$66.4 million |
|
5-Year Total |
New Pay Items |
$214.3 million |
|
FY 2024-2025 One-time Lump Sum |
$3.5 million |
$3.5 million |
|
5-Year Total |
Estimated Contract Cost |
$217.8 million |