The City and County of Denver and the Denver Police Protective Association announced they have reached a deadlock in negotiations for a collective bargaining agreement for Denver police officers.

Representatives of Denver and the DPPA began negotiations June 30 and declared an impasse Oct. 16, according to a Thursday news release.

Binding arbitration on subjects unresolved in negotiations is the next step for the sides, during which Denver and the DPPA have to continue good-faith negotiation efforts.

Officers can’t strike or slow down work.

In September, the Denver City Council voted down by an 8-5 margin a collective bargaining contract agreed on by the union and Mayor Michael Hancock’s administration, Colorado Politics reported. 

The rejection of the two-year agreement was based on a provision giving police officers a 2.77% pay increase in 2022, given that other city employees have been required to take furlough days this year and have not been promised future pay raises.

Council members also objected to their exclusion from the negotiation process, according to Colorado Politics.

The agreement rejected by City Council would have suspended salary increases in 2021, freeze pay for 10 holidays and reduce Denver’s contribution to the Denver police Retiree Health Fund by $360,000 in an effort to save nearly $5 million next year.

Hancock’s office declined to comment on the declared impasse in negotiations. 

According to the Denver City Charter, Denver and the DPPA are required to negotiate terms such as officers’ compensation, fringe benefits including holidays and leave, and hours in a workweek.

They can also negotiate terms if both parties agree to such as pensions, off-duty employment and testing for drugs and alcohol. 

The charter requires an arbitrator is chosen from a permanent panel whose members are selected by City Council and serve six-year terms.

After holding a hearing within 25 days after the arbitrator’s selection, and considering briefs the parties submit if they choose, the arbitrator makes a written decision about terms for the collective bargaining agreement.

The arbitrator chooses between final offers Denver and the DPPA have submitted on terms they could not agree on. 

The court system has limited ability to review binding arbitration decisions.

According to the city charter, some limited circumstances allowing appeal in district court include if the arbitrator’s decision have been influenced by fraud or corruption, if it is arbitrary and capricious or if their award is not a final offer made by Denver or the DPPA.

The court would not make its own decision about the terms to go into the collective bargaining agreement, but would vacate the arbitrator’s decision and require the issues go to a different arbitrator.