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LA, Police Union Reach Tentative Deal To Avoid Layoffs

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) — Mayor Eric Garcetti and the union representing Los Angeles Police Department officers announced Tuesday that they had come to a tentative agreement to avoid layoffs in the wake of the city's economic downturn resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic.

LAPD Headquarters
LOS ANGELES, CA - NOVEMBER 16, 2020: Photograph shows the front entrance to LAPD Headquarters on 1st St. in downtown Los Angeles. (Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)

The Los Angeles Police Protective League agreed to defer two scheduled salary increases for the 2021-22 fiscal year to the following year — a 3% base wage increase, scheduled to take effect January 2022, will be delayed 12 months; and a 1.5% base wage increase, scheduled to take effect in June 2022, will be delayed six months.

In return, the city committed to no layoffs of sworn LAPD employees for the current fiscal year and promised to provide officers with at least $70 million in cash overtime over the next three fiscal years.

"Our police officers do heroic work to keep Angelenos safe, and this year they have been asked to do more with less," Garcetti said. "I am pleased that we have reached a tentative deal that prevents sworn layoffs and provides the savings necessary to protect critical City services during this historic, pandemic-driven economic downturn."

LAPPL President Craig Lally said the agreement provided clarity to officers during a time when little is certain due to the pandemic and subsequent economic struggles.

"Officers have continued to protect our residents during these very trying and dangerous times and deserve to be treated fairly and have their sacrifices recognized," he said. "We believe this agreement does that and our Board of Directors is unanimous in recommending our members ratify it."

This is the third deal struck by the city to avoid layoffs in the wake of the budget crisis. The first, made with non-sworn LAPD employees, was announced Jan. 12. Two days later, Garcetti announced a deal had been reached with the firefighters' union.

Officials said the ratification vote would occur soon, but did not provide specifics.

(© Copyright 2021 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. City News Service contributed to this report.)

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