SAN ANTONIO — NOTE: The above video is from a March, 2021 story.
City leaders on Wednesday struck a deal with representatives of the San Antonio Police Officers Association (SAPOA) on a new contract which officials say will bring health care stability, higher wages and updated "accountability practices" to Alamo City officers.
The new Collective Bargaining Agreement was months in the making, officials told KENS 5, but the contract still needs to be finalized with a vote from SAPOA members.
“Considering the history of prior collective bargaining negotiations, I’m personally thrilled that the City of San Antonio and the new SAPOA leadership have been able reach a deal in roughly a year that both sides agree is right for the public and right for our uniformed officers and their families," Mayor Ron Nirenberg told KENS 5 in a statement.
SAPOA President Danny Diaz was also optimistic about the tentative agreement, saying "both sides consistently worked towards our shared goals of providing a contract that protects police officers, while delivering on community concerns about the future of law enforcement and police accountability."
Some of those concerns in recent years came from local Black activists. In 2021, the group Fix SAPD organized a grassroots effort to repeal collective bargaining rights for San Antonio officers, saying there are barriers in place which "shield bad police officers" after they violate department policy.
The measure eventually went in front of voters in May of that year, but failed.
No timeline has been announced on when a SAPOA vote to formalize the new CBA might take place, other than Diaz saying the association's members will be briefed "over the next few weeks."