Mayor Eric Adams has secured a $4 billion, five-year preliminary contract with the Uniformed Officers Coalition, representing 11 unions, including four police associations. These include the Detectives Endowment Association, Captains Endowment Association, Sergeants Benevolent Association, and Lieutenants Benevolent Association. The deal promises wage hikes of up to 4% during the contract term and is fully funded by the Fiscal Year 2024 Executive Budget’s labor reserve.
Adams applauded the agreement on Thursday, June 13th, emphasizing its support for the workers who maintain the city’s safety and cleanliness. With this contract, three-quarters of the city’s public workforce, including firefighters, sanitation, and correctional groups, is now under contract.
Adams said, “Not only are we supporting the working people, who keep our city safe and clean, we also provided them with the resources they need to support themselves and their families.”
He continued, “For far too long, there has not been the match that these union leaders have had with these contract negotiations, but they have it now. This is a great deal for workers and fair to city taxpayers.”
Each of the 11 contracts will include a wage increase of 3.25% for the first two years, followed by a 3.5% rise in the third and fourth years and a 4% increase in the fifth year.
The Office of Labor Relations Commissioner, Renee Campion, emphasized that each union must now negotiate its specific unit agreements. Although the economic terms are fixed, there are provisions for unions to request redistribution of allocated funds within the contract. In addition, a 0.21% “economic benefit” has been introduced to tackle recruitment and retention issues. These contracts have varying retroactive start and end dates, with some dating back to August 2020.
Mayor Adams announced the agreement in the City Hall rotunda, with several city leaders present. Notably absent was outgoing Police Commissioner Keechant Sewell, represented by First Deputy Commissioner Edward Caban. Despite Sewell’s absence, she commended the agreement in a statement released by City Hall, emphasizing the dedicated work of the city’s uniformed officers. She said, “This meaningful new agreement is welcome news for our uniform investigators, supervisors, and executives, who work night and day to ensure public safety in every New York City neighborhood.” Sewell continued, “Their work has helped us achieve continuing crime reductions, both last year and this, including double-digit decreases in shootings, shooting victims, and homicides.”
Questions about Sewell’s role in the negotiations and the reason for her absence were mainly dismissed by Adams. However, he noted that all commissioners were involved in the negotiations. Sewell, the first woman to serve as the NYPD’s head, announced her surprise departure earlier in the week, leaving the selection of her successor uncertain.
