Mpls. police union votes to approve tentative contract agreement for 21.7% pay raise over three years

The Minneapolis police union voted to approve a historic raise late Monday night, overwhelmingly supporting a tentative labor contract reached after eight months of public and closed-door negotiations and state mediation.

The agreement secures officers a 5.5% pay bump starting July 1, a 2.5% raise on Jan. 1, 2025, and another 3.5% jump next summer, city officials confirmed. It also includes a large amount of pro-rated backpay — which, taken together, equates to a 21.7% increase over three years for veteran cops.

Members of the Police Officers Federation of Minneapolis ratified the tentative agreement 301 to 63 — less than a week after a gunman shot and killed Minneapolis police officer Jamal Mitchell, the first such line-of-duty death the department has seen in over two decades.

That accord still requires sign-off by the full City Council, which could come as soon as next Thursday. But such approval is not guaranteed, given that the body's progressive wing has signaled a desire that future contracts include "deep, transformational reforms."

MPD's contract gained new scrutiny in recent years following a series of high-profile killings by police, including George Floyd's murder in 2020. In the aftermath, elected officials cited the police contract as an obstacle to changing disciplinary processes.

Although the Star Tribune has not yet obtained a copy of the tentative contract, senior city officials said in interviews Tuesday that it features several new provisions meant to increase disciplinary and staffing discretion by the chief. One extends the time period in which an officer accused of misconduct can be placed on leave while being investigated, from 30 days to 180 days. It also expands the number of civilian investigator positions and repeals language requiring that an officer be automatically notified when an individual requests public personnel records.

"This is a good contract," Mayor Jacob Frey said in an interview, noting that he is "hopeful" the council will approve it. "It makes police officer pay competitive in the region, which of course helps us both retain and recruit police officers that are working tirelessly right now. I'm for that. And it gets some important changes and managerial authority where it should be — with the chief — which is something that is long overdue."

Minneapolis' current police labor agreement was adopted in March 2022 after state mediation and expired Dec. 31 of that year. Frey's office declined to make the new, pending contract available to the public Tuesday. It is expected to be released later this week.

In a statement, union President Sgt. Sherral Schmidt said the executive committee is thankful they reached an agreement with the city and hopes the Council "will see value in this contract for hiring and retaining officers, especially given the clear and present reality that this is a dangerous profession."

The contract covers hundreds of rank-and-file officers, as well as sergeants and lieutenants, but not commanders and other appointed staff.

In an interview Tuesday, Frey, Police Chief Brian O'Hara, City Attorney Kristyn Anderson, and Rasheda Deloney, the city's director of labor relations, also emphasized the new contract would shed decades of side agreements between the city and the union that effectively tied the hands of city leaders when trying to make changes.

"What I need out of this is greater managerial control over the operations of the police department," O'Hara said, emphasizing he should be held accountable for changing the culture of policing in Minneapolis, but that such efforts can't be legislated through a union contract. "I don't need a longer and longer contract with more stuff that I have to ask the union's permission for first."

The police union has long sought double-digit pay raises for its rank-and-file officers. It argued last fall that wages have not kept pace with many suburban law enforcement agencies, which are competing for the same limited pool of candidates.

But city leaders balked at the union's request for a one-year 13.25% raise last fall, saying it could not manage the $11 million price tag. On Tuesday, Deloney said that potential deal also would have failed to gain concessions from the union that gave the chief more authority.

It's not immediately clear what this would cost taxpayers — a potentially important question with the city staring down a $21.6 million budget hole and stiff residential property tax increases on the table.

In February, Schmidt pointed out that City Council members proudly joined the picket lines for Minneapolis Public Works employees, who secured a historic wage increase of nearly 30% over the next three years. She called on Frey to ensure that her unit received an equitable wage package.

O'Hara released an internal video in April alerting his staff that the city was on the verge of making a deal with the union. Working under an expired contract strains morale, he acknowledged, and hinders the department's ability to recruit and retain good cops.

O'Hara emphasized that the force is entitled to a labor agreement that "clearly recognizes the demands, the dangers and the unparalleled level of scrutiny" they are under.

"At a minimum, you deserve to be among the highest-paid police officers in this state. Period," O'Hara said in the 2 ½-minute video, obtained by the Star Tribune. He also noted that MPD's ranks continue to dwindle through attrition. This year, more than 140 officers are eligible to retire.

That's roughly one-quarter of MPD's remaining police force.

"Any delay in this process will be devastating," O'Hara said, urging sworn personnel to approve the contract once an agreement had been reached through mediation.

"It is not lost on me that all of you stayed with this department and you did not turn your backs on the people of this city. If you vote to approve this contract, I guarantee you, I will do everything in my power to ensure that this city does not turn its back on you."

However, veteran officers may not feel the deal goes far enough. One lieutenant distributed elastic bracelets to all five police precincts last fall with what has become a growing mantra inside the department — "28 or arbitrate," a call demanding a 28% wage increase.

Local police watchdogs have vowed to comb through the document before making a final assessment on whether to endorse it, saying that a second contract without tangible accountability measures in the wake of Floyd's killing equates to a slap in the face.

"We're waiting with bated breath along with the public to make sure that the contract is balanced," said Stacey Gurian-Sherman, of MPLS for a Better Police Contract. "Will there be robust reforms to match the historically high wages in this contract?"