City Reaches Pension, Pay Raise Deal With Police Sergeants Union

By Chuck Sudo in News on Feb 11, 2013 5:45PM

The Sun-Times is reporting that the city has reached a deal on pay raises and pensions with the union that represents Chicago Police Department sergeants. The Chicago Police Sergeants Association agreed on a 2 percent annual pay raise and pension reform. That’s a far cry over the 12 percent pay raise over two years, lesser health care plan contributions and the laughable $3,000 stipend for officers to live in the city limits proposed by the Fraternal Order of Police. Maybe the sergeants make enough money that the pay raise they agreed on will cover the property tax bills of a Park Ridge raised ranch home.

CPSA president Jim Ade announced the agreement in an email to union members (per Second City Cop):

We believe this to be an excellent agreement that gives each of us a modest raise without forfeiting any of the important benefits gained through previous contracts. These negotiations not only addressed the collective bargaining agreement, but also forged a collective comprehensive plan to ensure that each of us would receive the pensions that we worked so hard for.

A source close to the negotiations told the Sun-Times the deal is proof that the city and labor can come to an agreement when they sit down and “look at the reality of the situation.”

News of the deal took Fraternal Order of Police president Mike Shields by surprise. It also marks a dramatic turnaround from two months ago, when the CPSA accused the city of putting at risk agreements on pension reform, health care for retired sergeants and a new contract, by walking away from the bargaining table.