NYPD Sergeants Strike Deal With de Blasio

The de Blasio administration has reached a deal with the Sergeants Benevolent Association – leaving just one of the five New York City Police Department unions without a contract.

It marks a breakthrough for Mayor Bill de Blasio, who announced the deal at City Hall on Thursday with SBA president Ed Mullins, the same union leader who called the mayor a "nincompoop" last December because of how the mayor handled police protests connected to the Eric Garner grand jury decision. He also actively opposed the city’s bid for the Democratic National Convention.

The two met privately in recent weeks and in some cases agreed to disagree. But Mullins said, “The one thing we agree on the most is that the City of New York, which I believe is the capital of the world, should not crumble. And it shouldn't crumble because of two people stomping their feet in the ground.”

If ratified, the 4,600 members of the SBA will get an 11 percent wage increase over seven years, which includes retroactive increases for the three years the union members worked with an expired contract. The increases are consistent with the pattern for uniformed unions established by the city in December. It includes 1 percent more than the pattern for civilian workers, which is a 10 percent increase over seven years.

For other city unions without contracts, including the Patrolmen’s Benevolent Association, which has entered into binding arbitration with the city, the mayor insisted he and Labor Commissioner Bob Linn were still willing to engage in dialogue.

“My door is open. Bob’s door is open. It’s up to each and every union to make their own choices,” said de Blasio.

The PBA, which represents rank-and-file officers, declined to comment on SBA’s agreement.

No arbitration hearings have yet been scheduled between the city and the PBA, so it is still possible both sides could reach an agreement without the panel imposing a decision.

In two out of its last three contracts, the PBA achieved a larger wage increase through binding arbitration than what the city had offered.

But on Thursday, the mayor stressed that the city has established a pattern for uniform workers, making clear that his administration was not intending to break it.

“The pattern is now established,” said de Blasio.  “It’s not moving.”