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Sioux Falls council ratifies police, fire and AFSCME collective bargaining agreements
Summary
Council approved three labor contracts covering police, fire and AFSCME employees with multi-year pay adjustments including combined COLA and market increases for public-safety units and a wage reopener for later years.
The Sioux Falls City Council on June 3 approved three collective bargaining agreements covering police officers and sergeants (Fraternal Order of Police Lodge No. 1), the International Association of Firefighters (IAFF Local 814) and AFSCME (Local 519). Each contract passed by unanimous 8-0 votes.
City attorney Ryan Sage summarized the police agreement as covering calendar years 2026 and 2027 (effective Jan. 1, 2026 through Dec. 31, 2027 in his description) and said the city and union agreed to a 3 percent cost-of-living increase plus a 3.5 percent market increase for 2026 (a combined 6.5 percent total) and a 3 percent increase for 2027. The contract adds bilingual pay for additional languages, Mr. Sage said.
For fire, the three-year agreement includes 3 percent COLA for 2026 plus a 1 percent market adjustment, and the same structure in 2027; it also includes a 2028 wage reopener. The city removed step 1 on the fire pay scale to raise entry wages, staff said in the presentation.
The AFSCME agreement covers 2026–2028 with 3 percent COLA in 2026 and 2027 and a wage reopener for 2028; the contract also raises shift differential from $1.00 to $1.50 in 2026 and $2.00 in 2027, and contains a reclassification clause the city may use during the contract term.
Public comment addressed pay levels and bilingual pay. One commenter expressed strong support for higher public-safety pay and urged equal treatment of police and fire employees; another urged the city to ensure bilingual staffing across shifts if bilingual pay is added. Councilors praised negotiators and city staff for timely agreements amid budget planning. Each contract was moved, seconded and adopted by roll-call vote 8-0.
The votes authorize implementation steps for payroll and budget staff; finance will incorporate the negotiated increases into the city budget process as appropriate.
