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EDINBURG — Members of the city council and the Edinburg Police Department gathered here Monday to celebrate an auspicious moment — the signing of a collaborative work agreement between the city and its officers.
It took nearly two months of negotiation for city leaders and representatives of the Edinburg United Police Officers’ Association before the agreement — which one union negotiator referred to as “a very good deal” — was finalized.
As both sides gathered for an official signing ceremony at Edinburg City Hall on Monday, representatives from both sides lauded the spirit of cooperation that had led to a smooth negotiation process.
“This agreement is not only a representation of unity, but it’s also a testament to our shared commitment to fostering a collaborative partnership with our police department and our union,” Edinburg Mayor Ramiro Garza Jr. said before a room full of officers, city administrators and members of the city council.
The three-year agreement guarantees better compensation for the department’s rank and file — for both those newly sworn, as well as those who have made their careers here.
For Investigator Armando Celedon, president of the EUPOA, the agreement illustrates how much city leaders care for their officers.
“It means a lot for the department. We’re seeing our mayor, with the city council and city management, understanding the needs of the officers,” Celedon said after the ceremony.
Edinburg police officers are represented by two police unions — the EUPOA, which exists under the umbrella of the statewide union, the Texas Municipal Police Association. The other union — the Edinburg Police Organization — exists under the Combined Law Enforcement Associations of Texas, or CLEAT.
With the majority of Edinburg officers being members of EUPOA, it held the power to negotiate the meet and confer agreement with city administration.
Nonetheless, all Edinburg officers were given the opportunity to vote on the proposal and nearly everyone in the department supported it, Celedon said.
“At the end, we all came to agreement. We had a vote process, I believe there were 133 ‘yes’ and two ‘nos’ to the contract,” Celedon said.
“At the end, the officers were very content with what we got,” he added, saying the increase in compensation will not only help officers keep up with inflation, but will help the department to remain competitive with other law enforcement agencies.
Some of the agreement’s highlights include a 9% pay raise for all officers spread out in 3% increments over the next three years.
But officers will also see increases to their base pay when the agreement goes into effect at the start of the fiscal year on Oct. 1.
Under the terms of the new contract, a new, non-certified officer can expect a starting pay of just over $40,200 for fiscal year 2023-24.
Under the previous contract, that starting pay began at slightly more than $39,000.
The union was also successful in negotiating better compensation terms for bereavement leave, longevity pay and incentives for achieving special certifications, such as becoming an advanced or master peace officer.
The new agreement expires on Sept. 30, 2026.
For Police Chief Jaime Ayala, whose position as the department’s top cop exempts him from the meet and confer agreement, its successful negotiation shows how much the city cares for his officers.
“At the end of the day, I feel like our employees are called to this work. It takes a very special person to do police work, whether it’s on the sworn side or the non-sworn side,” Ayala said.
“When you look at and you know that your compensation and your benefits are solid, right, and this is a good job, then you’re more inclined to say, ‘I want to go work in Edinburg’,” he added a moment later.
