Miami-Dade county administrators and police union representatives were back at the negotiation table Tuesday as they try to reach a contract agreement.
The two sides met all day at the Police Benevolent Association's headquarters in Doral.
"We are typing up, getting very close to drawing a line in the sand," PBA President John Rivera said before Tuesday's meeting. "We have made 80 percent of the concessions."
"This is a very important day, we do need to save $70 million," said Deputy Mayor Chip Iglesias. "This is a defining moment in these negotiations."
At a public bargaining session last month, the PBA had presented modified offers including: cutting the night differential from 10 to five percent of the base pay, the pay for being called back to work would go down to two hours of pay instead of four, overtime pay would be trimmed, and officers taking patrol cars home would pay a fee.
At Tuesday's meeting, the union refused to negotiate the county's proposal to increase health insurance premiums by another five percent, among other sticking points.
"You've have asked more from this unit than any other units. This county has not treated this unit well," said Rivera.
With massive budget shortfalls in the county, Mayor Carlos Gimenez had threatened to lay off 90 officers if a new contract is not reached by Nov. 1. But on Friday, Iglesias said as long as progress is being made in coming to an agreement, officials will hold off on the threatened dismissal of the officers.
Gimenez needs to slash some $239 million from the county's budget.
