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Lafayette reaches tentative police pact while firefighter talks hit impasse
Summary
City staff told the council Aug. 26 that Lafayette has a tentative collective bargaining agreement with the police union covering 2026 wages and benefits, while talks with the firefighters stalled on pay and will move to mediation and possibly arbitration under city code.
Deputy City Manager Davis told the Lafayette City Council at the Aug. 26 workshop that the city has a tentative agreement with the police union and has reached impasse with the firefighters over wages, setting the stage for mediation and a possible arbitration process.
The police agreement, which staff said is in final ratification, would raise wages that are subject to bargaining 4% for 2026 compared with 2025 and keep a three‑year CBA structure through 2028, with wages reopened for negotiation in 2027 and 2028. "We have a tentative agreement on almost everything, and we expect in the next week or 2 to have the final ratification," Davis said. The agreement framework aligns bargaining provisions with "section 87 of the city code," staff said, and would add items including specialty pay for field training officers, detective and bilingual pay, a more flexible holiday bank, and a new retiree health insurance program for public safety employees who retire earlier than other city workers.
The International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF) bargaining rounds differed. Davis said the city and the IAFF reached tentative agreement on many items but could not agree on a complete total compensation package. "We have reached impasse," Davis said, identifying wages as the primary area of disagreement. Staff told council the next step is mediation; if mediation fails, the city will follow the impasse procedures in city code and proceed to arbitration. Davis added the budget currently includes a placeholder for potential costs associated with the IAFF process.
Council members were not asked to take a formal vote at the workshop. Staff said any financial impacts of the police tentative agreement would be incorporated into the 2026 budget and that the police contract would be signed by the FOP and the city manager after ratification. For the firefighter bargaining unit, staff described the schedule only: mediation is set and arbitration would follow if necessary.
Why it matters: collective bargaining settlements affect the city budget and public safety staffing and benefits. Police benefits and the new retiree health provision would become part of ongoing costs; the firefighters' impasse introduces a potential, near‑term budgetary exposure if arbitration produces an award the city must fund.
What’s next: staff expects FOP ratification within days to weeks and will incorporate costs into the 2026 budget. If firefighter mediation fails, arbitration will follow per city code and could require midyear budget adjustments or use of budgeted placeholders.
