L.A. police union president calls latest contract offer ‘insulting’

The Los Angeles police officers’ union announced Friday it wants a third-party mediator to step into its salary talks with the city, describing the latest contract offer from Mayor Eric Garcetti and other elected officials as insulting.

Two and a half months since their contract expired, officials with the Police Protective League filed paperwork saying they have reached an impasse with city negotiators. That filing could result in the appointment of a neutral party who would attempt to resolve the differences between the two sides.

Union Vice President Corina Lee said the league, which represents 9,000 rank-and-file officers, submitted a proposal three weeks ago asking for three consecutive raises totaling 8%: 2% in January 2015, 3% in January 2016 and 3% in January 2017.

The city responded on Monday, according to league President Tyler Izen, with a more modest counterproposal: no raises over a two-year period, with a 2% raise going into effect on the last day of the contract’s second year.

“The city’s most recent offer is not only insulting, it’s regressive,” Izen said. “It actually is financially worse than the proposal our members turned down in July. Although the mayor has stated that the city would stay at the table ... it has become obvious that the city will not honestly negotiate without third-party intervention.”

Garcetti disputed the notion that talks have broken down, saying he remains optimistic a deal can be reached.

“I certainly don’t feel that we’re at impasse,” he said. “I respect that people can articulate that word. But I think impasse is when people aren’t actually talking to each other and there’s nothing new at the table. That’s not the case.”

City Council President Herb Wesson delivered the same message, saying city leaders have already boosted the amount of cash overtime provided at the LAPD and addressed demands for a higher starting pay.

The council voted last month to hike starting salaries by 15%, from $49,924 a year to $57,420. As part of a legal settlement, they also gave a 20% pay increase to nearly 1,000 officers who were hired since 2009 at a lower starting pay, Garcetti said.

Friday’s maneuver by the union moves its fight over wages to the city’s Employee Relations Board, which must decide whether an impasse truly exists. That quasi-judicial panel, which issues rulings on labor disputes, is itself the subject of a protracted policy fight involving the mayor and city unions, including the league.

Last year, Garcetti began appointing members to the five-member board without getting sign-off from city labor leaders. Unions have responded by trying to get Gov. Jerry Brown to sign a bill that would ensure they retain the power to screen each nominee.

Budget officials have been asking the city’s elected leaders to hold the line on raises, part of a larger effort to bring the budget into balance by 2018. That approach is needed, in part, because public safety pension costs are rising rapidly, said City Administrative Officer Miguel Santana.

The city’s contribution for police and firefighter retirement benefits has jumped from $175 million in 2005 to $626 million this year. Santana expects that figure to reach $710 million in 2016, further hampering the city’s ability to provide services.

Union officials have responded by saying police officers already made concessions during the recent recession worth $127 million per year. LAPD officers will leave for other law enforcement agencies if raises aren’t provided, they said.

Officers did not get raises from 2009 to 2011. As the city emerged from the recession, small increases were awarded: 1% on July 1, 2012; 2% on Jan. 1, 2013; 1% on July 1; 1% on Nov. 1 and 2% in March.

The league’s contract expired June 30. Even if the union succeeds in having an impasse declared, the end result could do little to satisfy union leaders’ concerns. Once all of the city’s impasse procedures are exhausted, city negotiators still will have the power to impose a one-year contract on the league, Santana said.

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