CINCINNATI -- The city and police union have reached a tentative labor agreement after months of negotiations, city officials announced Thursday.
Details of the agreement weren't immediately available. Officials said they would be released after officials and union members "have been apprised of its terms and have had ample opportunity to ratify."
"I want to applaud both negotiating teams who have worked for months to make this happen. While neither side got everything they wanted, the final outcome truly represents a win-win scenario," City Manager Harry Black said in a news release. “This has obvious benefits for the hard working men and women of the Cincinnati Police Department and maintains the progress we have made in bringing the city’s financial house in order. I am relieved we were able to complete this process in a professional manner. Our officers are heroes and deserve nothing less."
In a statement released by the city, Fraternal Order of Police President Dan Hils said: "I wanted to thank the City, FOP wage team and federal mediator John Gray for working together to reach a tentative agreement."'
An earlier proposed version of the contract called for a 5-percent annual pay and benefits increase for two years and a 4-percent increase in the third year. It also would have meant augmented city contributions to officers' health benefits and more flexibility for managing officers when it comes to granting changes in paid time off schedules.
It wasn't immediately clear if the tentative deal had anything in common with that proposal.
The proposal led to Black filing a formal complaint with the Ohio State Employee Relations Board against Hils. The complain alleged that Hils violated collective bargaining rules by meeting with the mayor and lobbying the City Council to support pay raises for police.
City Councilman Wendell Young also filed a complaint against Mayor John Cranley alleging that the mayor went around the city manager and council and dealt directly with the FOP.
Additionally, officials also reached a tentative deal with CODE, another labor union of city employees, according to a memo to the council from Black.
"I am thrilled that the FOP and CODE have reached tentative agreements," Cranley said in a news release. "I want to give special thanks to City Manager Harry Black for getting us to this point. We will also continue working to ensure that Fire, AFSCME and Building Trades receive equitable wage increases."
Details on that tentative agreement were also not immediately available.
"I am grateful we were able to complete this process in a professional manner," Black wrote.
