After months of negotiations, the City of Sioux Falls and the Fraternal Order of Police (FOP) Lodge #1 have reached impasse in labor negotiations. The administration will ask the City Council to approve its last best offer at the December 18, 2018, meeting.

The city’s last best offer included cost-of-living adjustments (COLA) of 2.5 percent for 2019, and 3 percent for 2020. The Sioux Falls Firefighters Association Union and American Federation of State and County Municipal Employees (AFSCME) overwhelmingly passed similar economic packages and the City Council recently approved those contracts. Additionally each member of the Police Department’s Detective Bureau would receive a $500 incentive payment annually upon conclusion of one-year of service in that bureau in 2019 and 2020.

“The city’s goal in labor negotiations is to provide equity to the greatest number of FOP members with wage increases and benefit packages that are competitive and generous,” said Bill O’Toole, Director of Human Resources for the city.

“Public safety is of the greatest importance to the people of Sioux Falls,” said Mayor Paul TenHaken. “Our officers and sergeants work hard each and every day to serve and protect our community. The city’s proposal clearly provided the most value to the entirety of the FOP membership. I believe this contract provides the greatest benefits, equity and reasonableness to the full FOP body.”

FOP Lodge #1, represents 220 union members including police officers and sergeants. The city’s last best offer as presented by the FOP leadership was voted down by the membership 209-10.

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