LOS ANGELES (CNS) — The Los Angeles City Council Tuesday approved an agreement reached by the city and the union representing Los Angeles Police Department officers to avoid sworn employee layoffs amid the city's economic downturn resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. 

The deal defers two scheduled salary increases for officers from the 2021-22 fiscal year to the following year:

• a 3% base wage increase, which was scheduled to take effect on Jan. 16, 2022, would be delayed until Jan. 1, 2023; and
• a 1.5% base wage increase, which was scheduled to take effect on June 19, 2022, would be delayed until Jan. 1, 2023.

The deal was announced by Mayor Eric Garcetti on Feb. 2. The city in return committed to the union, the Los Angeles Police Protective League, that no sworn employees will be laid off this fiscal year. It also agreed to provide officers with at least $70 million in cash overtime over the next three fiscal years.

According to a report by City Administrative Officer Richard Llewellyn, the deal will save the city about $30.87 million in direct and indirect costs during the next two fiscal years.

The City Council's vote on finalizing the deal comes weeks after the passage of the American Rescue Plan, which provides the city with about $1.35 billion to help the city recover from its budget crisis.

Garcetti said during his COVID-19 briefing on March 10 that the additional funding does not change the need for a deal with the Los Angeles Police Protective League.

"We emptied the (city's reserve fund), something we built up over eight years we need to replenish that," he said. 

"That money has to go first and foremost to stabilizing our finances."

Under the agreement, the Los Angeles Police Protective League is granted the right to meet with city officials to confer over the distribution of significant state and federal relief money.

LAPPL President Craig Lally said in February after the deal was struck that the agreement provides clarity to officers during a time when little is certain due to the global pandemic and economic struggles.

"Officers have continued to protect our residents during these very trying and dangerous times and deserve to be treated fairly and have their sacrifices recognized," Lally said.

"We believe this agreement does that and our Board of Directors is unanimous in recommending our members ratify it."

The City Council also approved a similar memorandum of understanding with the Los Angeles Police Command Officers Association to defer a base wage increase of 3% from Jan. 16, 2022 to Jan. 1, 2023. That agreement is expected to save the city about $500,000, Llewellyn reported.