S.A. police union urges voters to keep collective bargaining, calls ballot measure a form of defunding
FacebookTwitterEmail
John “Danny” Diaz is president of the San Antonio Police Officers Association.Jerry Lara /Staff photographer
The San Antonio Police Officers Association on Tuesday stepped up its campaign against a ballot initiative that would remove the union’s ability to collectively bargain.
The initiative, listed as Proposition B on the May 1 ballot, would repeal what is known as Chapter 174, which gives police officers the right to negotiate a contract with the city through collective bargaining. An organization called Fix SAPD gathered more than 20,000 signatures to get it on the ballot.
A step in the right direction : San Antonio continues contract negotiations with police union
FacebookTwitterEmail
First Assistant City Attorney Liz Provencio is a main negotiators for the city.Marvin Pfeiffer /Staff Photographer
The San Antonio police union made some effort to meet the city’s priorities while not conceding any point during a second negotiation session to reach a new labor contract Friday.
Union negotiators were open to a few changes, including some of the city’s clarifying language. The meeting ended with a tentative agreement to favor San Antonio residents among those admitted to the police training academy.
“Sometimes progress isn’t obvious, but progress is being made,” said Danny Diaz, the president of the San Antonio Police Officers Association.
/
San Antonio Police Officers Association President Danny Diaz (left) and San Antonio City Manager Erik Walsh (right) open the first day of negotiations between the city and union as both sides come to the bargaining table for the first time. .
The City of San Antonio wasted no time in getting to its key points of discipline reform during opening negotiations with the San Antonio Police Officers Association over a new five-year contract Friday.
Officials with both the union and the city said they are coming to the table with the intent of good faith negotiations, but both of the last contract negotiations with the police and fire unions have either ended up in court or prolonged debates with the invocation of arbitration. The police discussions started as an election for city council begins with a ballot initiative that could impact how negotiations move forward.
Ballot initiative to gut San Antonio police union draws opposition from AFL-CIO
FacebookTwitterEmail
San Antonio Police Officers Association President-elect John “Danny” Diaz greets an officer as he arrives for a news conference outside the San Antonio Public Safety Headquarters, Monday, Jan. 4, 2021, to denounce Fix SAPD’s efforts to gather petition signatures to put a charter amendment that would repeal the police union’s right to collectively bargain with the city.Jerry Lara /San Antonio Express-News
A push to take away the collective bargaining rights of San Antonio police officers at the May ballot box is unexpectedly pitting progressive against progressive.
Garcia: Fix SAPD petition drive spurs questions on the best route to police reform
FacebookTwitterEmail
Co-founder Oji Martin (center) and Boardmember James Dykman (right) of FixSAPD bring boxes of 20,000 collected signatures for City Clerk Tina Flores (left) to certify in hopes of putting the repeal of Chapter 174 on the May ballot on Friday, Jan. 8, 2021. The volunteer organization wants Chapters 174 and 143 which deal with collective bargaining and discipline procedures within the San Antonio Police Department - both of which FixSAPD want to repeal. Friday s presentation of 20,000 signatures was for the repeal of Chapter 174.Kin Man Hui, San Antonio Express-News / Staff photographer