Editor’s Note: The above video shows KXAN News’ top morning headlines from Monday, Sept. 23, 2024.

AUSTIN (KXAN) — The City of Austin and the Austin Police Association (APA) have reached a tentative labor agreement, according to sources involved in the negotiations.

There are still a number of steps ahead — including the city finalizing contract language, according to city staff during Monday’s negotiation meeting. The police association membership will also need to take a look at the tentative contract.

“I want to compliment the professionalism of your team … We’re hopeful that once we get this submitted to your members, hopefully ratified before the city council, passed by them, it will give you an excellent era for the Austin Police Department,” the lead negotiator for the city said during Monday’s meeting.

Austin City Council will vote on that agreement during its Oct. 10 meeting, according to the police association. They have the final say.

According to sources, the proposed contract will include pay increases for police officers and address a major sticking point in negotiations so far — the treatment of the “g-file.” You can read more about that back and forth here.

The City and APA re-entered discussions for a long-term contract in March.

KXAN reached out to the City of Austin and the police association for comment and will update this story when we hear back.

How we got here

Austin City Council struck down a four-year contract agreement “in principle” in 2023, instead pursuing a one-year extension agreement with the Austin Police Association. Council members Alison Alter and Mackenzie Kelly voted against the measure, instead favoring the four-year deal.

It’s not the first time that’s happened.

Before Austin City Council voted to approve a police contract was 2018, as we previously reported, that city council voted down previous versions of that agreement as well.

The issue then was that social activists and the union couldn’t agree on oversight and transparency guidelines. Council ultimately sent the agreement back to the negotiating table in December 2017. The contract wasn’t made final until the end of 2018.

The post City, Austin Police Association reach tentative labor agreement appeared first on Patabook News .