Council hears details of proposed Lincoln Police Union contract; no final vote recorded in session

City human resources staff and the Lincoln Police Department provided the City Council with a summary of a proposed collective bargaining agreement with the Lincoln Police Union during the Sept. 29 meeting.

Barb McIntyre of Human Resources said negotiations produced a multi‑year agreement. Highlights McIntyre described include a 6% wage increase in year one, increased longevity pay, an additional holiday call‑in premium, another 6% cost‑of‑living increase in year two with staggered premium pay implementation, and a $5 increase in year three that would enable special position pay. The agreement would also increase the pay for field training officers by $3 per hour when supervising a trainee.

Chief Michelle Morrow described language changes focused on employee support: the city will pay in advance for protective body armor for new hires (rather than reimbursing officers), expand a wellness program that allows on‑duty time for exercise and stress reduction (embedded in the contract and increased to two hours per week), allow probationary employees to use sick and vacation leave, and add 32 hours of bereavement leave for officers on the same team and shift following a line‑of‑duty death.

Council members praised aspects of the negotiated package as positive for recruitment and officer health. A council member who said he previously worked on the police force described fitness supports as helpful for retention. The transcript shows discussion and praise for the agreement’s recruiting benefits but does not record a roll‑call vote on the contract during this meeting.

Because no final vote appears in the meeting transcript, the contract remains at the stage described in the hearing; the article reports only the contract provisions as stated by staff and the chief and does not assert that the council approved the agreement.