Unions urge Columbia council to adopt step pay plan, prioritize wages; council moves to closed session on negotiations

Representatives of three labor groups asked the Columbia City Council on Monday to direct staff to adopt and implement anniversary-based step pay increases and to prioritize wages in the next budget.

Don Weaver, speaking on behalf of the Columbia Police Officers Association, told council members the union seeks a 10-step pay plan that would give officers and sergeants predictable pay increases on their anniversary date. "Fix the step plan with automatic progress on the anniversary date," Weaver said, arguing the change would help attract and retain officers and reduce pay compression.

Why it matters: Council members and union negotiators said predictable step increases and market adjustments are central to recruitment and retention across multiple city departments. Union presenters warned that delays or freezes in wage adjustments would reintroduce pay compression the city has only recently begun to fix and could worsen staffing problems in police, fire, public works and transit.

At the meeting, union representatives described the bargaining positions…