PROGRESS

Minneapolis Police Department to Withdraw From Union Negotiations Immediately

The withdrawal, announced at a press conference Wednesday, comes after weeks of protests over George Floyd's death while in police custody.

Minneapolis Police Chief Medaria Arradondo announced on Wednesday that the department would immediately withdraw from contract negotiations with the police union. Arradondo said the current process is “antiquated” and that he needed to step away from that to make progress in the department. He said he planned to bring in outside experts to examine how the contract with the Police Officers Federation could be restructured to allow for reforms. “This is not about officers’ wages, bonuses or salaries,” Arradondo said. “This is about examining those significant matters that touch on things such as critical incident protocol, use of force, the significant role that supervisors play in this department, and also the discipline process to include both grievances and arbitration.” He said there was potential for chiefs to be hamstrung by unions when they wanted to terminate an officer.

The announcement comes after weeks of protest over the death of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police officers on May 25. Arradondo said Wednesday morning that Floyd’s death is being investigated by state and federal authorities.