After half a decade of no raises for police officers, the union that represents them hopes the courts will help it gain stronger footing in negotiations.
The D.C. police union filed a lawsuit in Superior Court to block the chief of police from compensation-based decisions regarding rank-and-file police officers.
According to the union, a 2011 Mayor’s Order gave the authority to negotiate compensation with the union to the Office of Labor Relations and Collective Bargaining, but in Chief Cathy Lanier’s 2007 contract, then-Mayor Adrian Fenty gave her his authority over collective bargaining between the city and the union.
In the past five years, rank-and-file officers have not received a raise while Lanier’s salary increased 35 percent and top management officials have received raises as well, the union said.
According to the union, Lanier’s contract expired April 3, giving the officers their first real chance of negotiating fair and competitive compensation in five years before she negotiates a new contract for herself.
In the lawsuit, the union accuses Lanier of interfering with the negotiations in violation of that 2005 Mayor’s Order.
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