SAN ANTONIO – The president of the San Antonio Police Officers Association (SAPOA) said his union is backing away from the negotiating table after a pay offer he described as a “slap in the face.”
The union and City of San Antonio have been negotiating a new contract since late January. Both sides have proposed combinations of hourly-rate and percentage-based raises, meaning different ranks would be affected differently.
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The city presented an offer today that would raise the base wages for the lowest-ranking San Antonio police officers from $65,431 currently to $74,970 in April 2029 — a more than 14% bump in pay.
However, the union has proposed raising the same officers’ pay to $82,164 in the same time frame — a more than 25% increase.
In an emailed statement after the negotiation session, SAPOA President Danny Diaz said the city’s counteroffer “devalues our officers and the dangerous work they do every day,” and the union was “pausing further discussions at this time.”
In a follow-up phone interview, Diaz told KSAT that officers have been quick to let the union know how they felt.
“Our phones have not been quiet,” he said. “They’ve been ringing off the wall. And it’s very loud and clear that that is a slap in the face, what they offered today.”
The city said in an emailed statement an “independent survey” of Texas’ largest cities showed the department’s compensation is “already competitive.”
“When total compensation — including healthcare, pension, and retiree benefits — is considered, San Antonio ranks in the top three among large Texas cities at all career stages analyzed,” the statement reads. “We are committed to not losing ground and remaining among the top three in total compensation.”
It’s not clear when talks might resume.
“We’re going to have to continue talking to get it settled, but I can’t give you a date or a time,” Diaz told KSAT. “We need to wait and see what happens — who calls who first."
The current contract runs through September, but an evergreen clause could keep its terms in place for another eight years.
With the city’s budget season approaching, City Manager Erik Walsh indicated a desire to wrap things up.
“I’m confident that both sides can continue to work through the remaining issues and provide certainty for our officers and the community,” Walsh said in a statement. “I believe it’s critical to finalize the tentative agreement and understand all the costs in advance of the City preparing for the FY 2027 Budget process.”
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