Mayor Eric Adams and a phalanx of NYC officials flanking him — absent outgoing Police Commissioner Keechant Sewell — announced a new $4 billion, five-year tentative contract for the city’s uniformed unions on Thursday.
The agreement with the Uniformed Officers Coalition, which represents 11 unions, including four police groups — the Detectives Endowment Association, Sergeants Benevolent Association, Lieutenants Benevolent Association and Captains Endowment Association — includes wage increases up to 4% over the contract period.
The 10-figure agreement is fully covered in the labor reserve of the Fiscal Year 2024 Executive Budget, officials said.
“Not only are we supporting the working people, who keep our city safe and clean, we also provided them with the resources they need to support themselves and their families,” Adams told reporters.
“For far too long, there has not been the match that these union leaders have had with these contract negotiations, but they have it now. This is a great deal for workers and fair to city taxpayers.”
With this settlement, 75% of the city’s municipal workforce — also including fire, sanitation and correction groups — is now under contract, Adams said.
Office of Labor Relations Commissioner Renee Campion described the settlement as “pattern-conforming” with the one reached in April with the Patrolmen’s Benevolent Association — which Adams then described as a “historic deal.”
Each of the respective 11 contracts include a 3.25% general wage increase for their first two years, a 3.5% boost in the third and fourth years, and 4% bump in their fifth years.
All 11 unions must now “negotiate their separate unit agreements” with Campion’s office and discuss “if they at any point want to move around any of the money that’s already embedded in the contract,” she said.
“But the economic terms are set,” Campion explained.
The contracts also include a .21 percent “economic benefit” that will be used “to address recruitment and retention issues” — which will be part of those individual discussions.
The contracts are retroactive, with varying start and end dates — some dating back as far as August of 2020, officials said.
“We’ve reached another milestone today,” Campion said.
“And I look forward to, as the mayor said, reaching agreements with the other 25% of our union workforce.”
Adams, who announced the agreement in the City Hall rotunda — with various city leaders standing behind him — acknowledged Sewell’s absence and said she was “represented” by First Deputy Commissioner Edward Caban, who did not speak during the press conference.
Deputy Mayor of Public Safety Phil Banks — who less than a decade ago served as NYPD’s Chief of Department — was also present but did not speak.
When asked whether Sewell played a role in negotiations and why she wasn’t there, Adams said that “all of our commissioners have feedback and input in these negotiations.”
“Commissioner Sewell is in her final two weeks,” he said.
“She has a lot to do. And you know, we had a great conversation this morning, as she continues to complete her two weeks and do the briefing that I need of what’s going on.”
Adams declined to comment on what he and Sewell discussed.
Despite her absence, Sewell commented on the deal in a joint statement released by City Hall.
“This meaningful new agreement is welcome news for our uniform investigators, supervisors, and executives, who work night and day to ensure public safety in every New York City neighborhood,” Sewell said.
“Their work has helped us achieve continuing crime reductions, both last year and this, including double-digit decreases in shootings, shooting victims, and homicides.”
“The city is fortunate to have these truly dedicated public servants, and I’m proud that this agreement reflects a recognition of their continuing contributions to our common good. We thank each of the unions for their continued partnership in working towards the best interests of our officers, and by extension, this city.”
Meanwhile, Hizzoner shut down any further questions about the departing top cop, saying his comments earlier this week were sufficient.
“That book is closed,” he said.
“There’s no more conversations I’m having on that. I’ve answered all the questions I’m going to answer. I have a city to run. I was blessed to have a great commissioner who assisted in bringing down crime and we’re looking forward to the next chapter in the NYPD’s very rich history. But I have no more questions on Commissioner Sewell that I’m going to answer.”
Sewell abruptly announced Monday that she was stepping down after nearly a year and a half as the first woman at the helm of the NYPD — with sources saying her sudden departure caught City Hall off guard.
Sources told The Post that the former cops in high places at City Hall — including Adams and Banks — coupled with warring NYPD factions, pushed the top cop to her “breaking point.”
Adams virtually tied Sewell’s hands from the start by creating a culture in his administration that allowed NYPD chiefs to bypass their commissioner by either reporting directly to Banks — deputy mayor of public safety who less than a decade ago served as the chief of the department — or going to current Adams aide and ex-cop Tim Pearson, sources said.
“The NYPD created the mayor, the mayor took all his friends with him, and she was not among the chosen,” one source commented earlier this week.
“It’s hard for an outsider if you’re not from that culture to fit in.”
It remained unclear Thursday who would be tapped by Adams to lead the nation’s largest police force.
