LOS ANGELES : Mayor, Police Union Sign Contract Including 7% Raise

City and police union leaders have signed the new police contract, formally ending two years of contentious negotiations.

The 77-page contract was signed by Mayor Richard Riordan and Danny Stagg, president of the Police Protective League, giving officers a 7% pay increase over the next two years.

“It doesn’t 100% please either side, which probably means it’s very reasonable,” Riordan said.

The four-year contract covers 7,400 officers, sergeants, detectives and lieutenants. The contract’s first 2% pay raise is retroactive to July 1. The police rank-and-file also get a $1,500 equipment allowance, and patrol officers get a 2% bonus.

Police had staged sickouts and a work slowdown to pressure city officials to increase the raise they were offering. The raise was increased but fell short of the union demand for a 9% increase over three years. Officials said the city was too broke to offer that much.

During this year’s talks, Riordan and the City Council rejected the union’s call for arbitration, saying it would give control of city money to a third party. Union leaders say they plan to sponsor a ballot initiative that will make binding arbitration part of the city’s negotiating process.