More on the Contract

From the Tribune:

• The city of Chicago and the union representing rank-and-file police officers have reached a tentative agreement on a new four-year contract that would provide a roughly 20% raise for officers and allow those accused of serious misconduct to have their disciplinary cases decided behind closed doors.

  Chicago Police Department officers and detectives would receive a 5% pay hike in both 2024 and 2025, and cost-of-living raises — likely between 3% and 5% — in 2026 and 2027. What’s more, each of the more than 10,000 active duty CPD officers in the FOP would receive a one-time $2,500 retention bonus, regardless of how long they’ve worked for the department, according to City Hall sources and an internal union email provided to the Tribune.

And here's the concern many have voiced:

• The most controversial element of the contract appears to be a provision that Benn awarded to the union allowing officers to opt to have disciplinary cases decided by an arbitrator out of public view instead of by the city’s Police Board.

  Johnson’s office said in its statement that the city was “deeply disappointed in the arbitrator’s decision to claw back transparency,” and that the administration “remains committed to moving forward with any avenue available to keep the police disciplinary process transparent” and would focus “on implementing accountability measures within the Chicago Police Department, supporting police offices and a robust community safety agenda.”

The usual anti-police progressive turds are already saying they disagree with the arbitrator's recommendations, though it's unclear if they have enough support to derail the entire package.