Boston Council Panel Advances $3.3 Million Police Detective Union Contracts

BOSTON — May 13, 2026 — Boston City Council Ways and Means Committee advances $3.3 million in police detective union contracts. The committee, chaired by District 6 Councilor Ben Weber and joined by Councilors Ed Flynn, John Fitzgerald, and Murphy, held a virtual hearing Wednesday on four dockets covering one-year collective bargaining agreements between the city and the Boston Police Detectives Benevolent Society and its Superior Officers Unit, both expiring June 30, 2026. Budget Director Jim Williamson said approval would bring total FY26 draws on the city's $102.7 million collective bargaining reserve to $89.6 million. Key provisions include a 2 percent base wage increase retroactive to July 1, 2025, a 1 percent hazardous duty pay bump, an expanded summer vacation schedule designed to reduce replacement overtime, and a new half-day comp-time option. Labor Relations Director Renee Bushy described both agreements as largely mirroring what was "already approved for the BPPA." The hearing's sharpest exchange came when Flynn pressed panelists on how the department — currently about 45 detectives below authorized strength — can offer more flexible time-off provisions without worsening overtime costs; Deputy Superintendent James Miller said recruitment and promotion efforts are ongoing but acknowledged that every detective promotion draws from the patrol force.