L.A. police officers vote to reject one-year contract extension

Voicing their frustration over issues surrounding pay and discipline, Los Angeles police officers have rejected a proposed one-year contract extension that avoided raises for most workers.

Officials with the Police Protective League, the union that represents 9,900 rank-and-file cops, said Saturday that a majority of those who cast ballots over the last week voted against the contract, which had been reached with Mayor Eric Garcetti and city negotiators. Union officials declined to release the vote tally.

“There is a deep-seated frustration and anger among the officers caused by their low pay, working conditions, a disciplinary system that is viewed as biased and unfair, and their perception that management is unreceptive to their problems,” union President Tyler Izen said in a statement.

Union officials spent the last week trying to sell the contract to police officers in a series of closed-door meetings. But it was a tough sell. The agreement dramatically hiked the amount of cash available to pay officers for overtime, from $15 million last year to $70 million starting July 1, but gave no raises to most officers.

The vote delivered a setback to city budget officials, who have been pushing for Garcetti and the City Council to hold off on raises for city employees — part of a larger strategy for eliminating a structural deficit by 2018. By avoiding raises, officials also hope to limit the growth of their public safety retirement costs.

The city’s contribution for police and fire retirement benefits has more than tripled since 2005, growing from $175 million to $626 million, according to a presentation given to the City Council this year. That figure is expected to reach $710 million in two years.

“For every dollar we pay in salary, we have to find 50 cents more for retirement costs” for police officers and firefighters, said City Administrative Officer Miguel Santana, the top budget official at City Hall.

If the two sides cannot reach a new agreement, outside mediators may be called in to try to broker one. Barring that, the City Council could ultimately seek to impose a one-year contract on the officers.

Garcetti said Saturday that he is committed to continue working with the union to reach “a fair and fiscally responsible agreement.”

“I appreciate the sacrifice of our police officers in recent years to help our city weather the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression,” he said in a statement. “This sacrifice was always intended to be temporary, and that’s why the proposed contract restored cash overtime, ended forced time off and addressed the compensation disparity for our newest officers.”

The proposed one-year contract would have increased the pay of nearly 1,000 officers who had joined the force since 2009, amid a recession, at a starting salary 20% lower than that of their colleagues. That increase is aimed at helping boost recruitment at the LAPD.

“I’m disappointed that this vote results in nearly 1,000 of our newest police officers being left behind,” Garcetti said.

The deal rejected by the rank-and-file officers also would have hiked starting salaries 15%, from $49,924 a year to $57,420.

The negotiations with the police union come as the city is trying to reach agreements with other employee organizations, including the firefighters and the Coalition of L.A. City Unions, which represents non-public-safety employees. Contracts with all of the unions expired June 30.

Leaders of the police union contend that salaries at the LAPD are lower than those at other Southern California law enforcement agencies. City negotiators, Izen said, failed in recent weeks to recognize “the outstanding work and dedication of LAPD officers who have driven crime down to record levels.”

“Overall crime is down in L.A., but so is the morale of LAPD officers,” he said.

david.zahniser@latimes.com

Twitter: @DavidZahniser

joel.rubin@latimes.com

Twitter: @joelrubin