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Adams’ labor deal with biggest NYPD union includes pilot plan for fewer work days, longer tours
By
Elizabeth Kim
Published Apr 5, 2023
Modified Apr 5, 2023
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Elizabeth Kim/Gothamist
By
Elizabeth Kim
Published Apr 5, 2023
Modified Apr 5, 2023
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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 expected to cost the city any additional money.
But budget hawks are likely to scrutinize the total cost of the deal, which does not include health care concessions. The contract will cost taxpayers $5.5 billion.
The agreement calls for retroactive raises going back to 2017, when talks between de Blasio and the union broke down. For what is considered the current bargaining round, the parties agreed to a cumulative salary increase of 20.75% from 2020 to 2024. The annual raises range between 3.25% and 4%.
The practice of so-called “pattern bargaining” means that those raises will now serve as the framework for other uniformed unions, including firefighters and sanitation workers, who are also seeking contract extensions.
Raises for uniformed union members are typically higher than those for civilian workers. Adams’ first labor deal called for 3% raises for District Council 37, the city’s largest municipal union made up of roughly 100,000 employees, including 911 operators, social service workers and parks staffers. That agreement, which was ratified by members last weekend, also included signing bonuses as well as a plan for remote work.
In response to the municipal labor union deal, some uniformed union leaders, including Lynch had argued that essential workers such as police officers deserved higher raises because they did not have the ability to work from home.
Correction: Due to an editing error, this story has been updated to reflect that Patrick Lynch is the head of the PBA.
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Elizabeth Kim
Elizabeth Kim is a reporter on the People and Power desk who covers mayoral power. She previously covered the pandemic, housing, redevelopment and public spaces. A native of Queens, she speaks fluent Mandarin. Got a tip? Email [email protected]
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