The San Antonio Police Officers’ Association is recommending a new proposal in the latest collective bargaining negotiations with the City of San Antonio. Both sides want to come to an agreement soon, but if the most recent proposal, calling for a 11-13 percent raise in salaries over four years, lower healthcare premiums for dependents and modifications to proposed out-of-network costs isn’t accepted, the police union might walk away from the table.
The Association President Mike Helle said the city’s proposed 9.5 percent raise, two percent of which would be a lump sum payment, did not work for them.“When you give somebody a percentage of pay it carries forward through their entire career. For those working people, when you get a bonus, it’s only a one-time bump and you go back to your regular base salary. That’s not acceptable to us, that’s not something we even want to consider.”
Currently the city pays all healthcare premiums for officers and their families. Jeff Londa, co-chief negotiator with the city, said that under the city’s last proposal, from February, that would change.“Employee only coverage will not have a premium and there will be premiums for dependent coverage, the highest premium would be about $300 [per month].”
The association wants that monthly premium to be about $120 per month. Londa said though, that there was some progress in the phasing out of a legacy insurance policy.“The legacy plan had been pushing healthcare costs up at a 22 percent per year rate.”
If the association’s proposal or similar arrangements are not accepted, Helle said the association would consider leaving the bargaining table and returning after the May elections. The next meeting is scheduled for Friday.
