Mpls Cops Negotiate Contract in Private Mediation

Did you know that city and police representatives are negotiating another three year contract right now? Police are asking for significant pay premiums on top of the historic raise they won in the prior contract. Meanwhile Councilmember Robin Wonsley put out a list of proposals she wants to see in the contract. We talk through those, status of negotiations, and the challenge of trying to use the police contract as an instrument of positive change.

Recorded 7/22/26.

Alert

Though the massive ICE activity dwindled in the Spring, we still face a determined wannabe-fascist regime. Mill City Hall asks you to plug in and take action:

• Donate to rent support and mutual aid funds
• Defend 612 is an entry-point to local neighborhood organizing
• Monarca continues to provide trainings for regular folks who want to help, and offers a hotline to report ICE activity: 612-441-2881

Don't forget to check out:

• Our Instagram account for clips that are easy to browse and share
• Cam's writings in the 2nd Ward Blog
• Ask Robin to do a portrait of your favorite tree

The Police Contract

Official City links to the parts of the process that are public:

• City and Federation negotiation proposals
  • Negotiation updates bit of a timeline of updates (all in 2025)
• Police Officers Federation Agreement: this is mostly resources on the previous contract.

Minneapolis For a Better Police Contract

This advocacy group (website) was formed by members who included the Racial Justice Network and Communities United Against Police Brutality. They initially put out 19 recommendations for changes to the contract way back in 2019. They have also sought to win the support of city councilmembers for those proposals. Unfortunately, they were not enacted. In 2022, those were expanded to 22 recommendations, and ultimately four councilmembers voted against the 2023-2025 contract.

In our conversation, we referred to this group as pretty tightly associated with Michelle Gross/Communities United Against Police Brutaility. Stacey Gurian-Sherman, a steering committee member for MFBPC, helped clarify that this has always been an independent group, not a project "of" CUAPB. Gross and Dave Bicking had left MFBPC earlier than we indicated in our conversation.

2023-2025 Contract

• 21% pay raise
• Federation approved in 301-63 vote
• Sept 2023: negotiations started
• July 2024, city council approves new contract

Media coverage

• CBS
• Associated Press
• Kare 11
  • The new agreement will give management more discretion over job assignments and staffing ratios, so that the Chief and his leadership team can assign officers to areas of the greatest need, and make promotions based on candidate readiness, not based upon a mandated percentage.
  • The City also negotiated a change to significantly reduce the period of time it takes to fill vacancies.
  • Through the new agreement, the POFM has agreed that the City can make permanent hires or hire civilians to assist with investigative work.
  • Officers will no longer receive automatic notification of the identity of the person requesting public personnel data about them.
  • When there are allegations of severe misconduct, the Chief will have complete discretion to place the officer on paid investigatory leave for up to 180 days. In the past, the Chief only had complete discretion for the first 30 days.
• MPR
• Kate 11 interview with city negotiator, Rasheda Deloney