How We Got Here
MFBPC History
Minneapolis For A Better Police (MFBPC) is a coalition solely of volunteers who represent community-based groups demanding police reform and community safety beyond policing.
For years, the Minneapolis City Council used the excuse that its hand were tied in holding the Minneapolis Police Department (MPD) accountable, and effectuating needed change, because of its contract with the Police Officers Federation of Minneapolis, the union that represents MPD staff. The individuals and organizations that make up MFBPC had a different viewpoint; the contract was just the place to get changes needed for harm reduction, and impetus towards larger systemic changes. A better police contract would mean better policing. MFBPC was formed in 2019 and that same year we issued our first set of recommendations. In 2021, we brought a lawsuit against the City when it refused to provide access to its negotiations with the Police Federation, and also then refused to provide negotiations documents. In 2022, we successfully settled that lawsuit, which holds the City to follow state law concerning access to public negotiations. Now, in 2023, we are back at, having created our second set of recommendations. This is the timeline of our story. We hope it inspires you to become active in police accountability and to join with us.
Spring 2019 – Review Of Police Contract Begins By The Racial Justice Network: an ad hoc task force begins a thorough review of the collective bargaining agreement (the “contract”) between the City of Minneapolis and the Police Officers Federation of Minneapolis (Police Federation).
June 11, 2019 – First Informal Request To City Labor Relations Department on Police Contract Negotiations: “What parts of the process are open to the public? What parts aren’t?.... How are the Council Members part of the process?”
June 13, 2019 – Responses From Minneapolis Director Of Labor Relations: “I regret that we don’t have answers to most of your questions at this time,” and “I don’t know a great deal about it …. I don’t believe members of the public have ever attended parts of City labor contract negotiations.”
June 19, 2019 – Minneapolis For A Better Police Contract (MFBPC) Is Formed: after Communities United Against Police Brutality (CUAPB) hosts the community forum Influencing The Contracting Process to discuss strategies for embedding needed police reform measures into the Police Federation contract.
August 2019 – Meetings With City Council Members Begin: to introduce the City Council Members and the Mayor to the 2019 14 Recommendations and solicit support. These meetings continue through November. All but one City Councilmember support at least one, a few, or all 14 Recommendations.
September 30, 2019 – First Bargaining Session Held Between City And Police Federation, Unbeknownst To The Public: sessions are held throughout the fall, but dates were not provided to the City Council Members or to the public on the City’s calendar or website.
December 4, 2019 - MFBPC Submits 1 st Formal Data Request for Bargaining Session Dates: after months of formal inquires to the City Council and City Agencies.
December 6, 2019 – City Responds With Date Of Future Negotiations Session: Laura Davis, Labor Relations Director: “Thanks for your patience.”
December 13, 2019 – Police Federation Tells City It Wants Non-Public Mediation: James Michels, attorney to the Police Federation, to Laura Davis, Labor Relation Director: “Although we have made progress on many … issues, the Federation is now requesting that the case be moved to traditional mediation…. we learned that there has been a request from members of the public to attend our negotiations ….The attendance of outside parties … seems incompatible with … our Process Agreement.”
December 15, 2019 – City Capitulates To Police Federation: Laura Davis to MFBPC, “I regret to inform you that on Friday the Federation requested mediation of the labor agreement. As a result, we will have to reschedule the session previously planned for Tuesday 12/17, and members of the public will not be able to attend the subsequent mediation sessions.”
January 13, 2020 – MFBPC Requests Past Dates Of Negotiations And Proposals: noting “This is public information.”
January 17, 2020 - MFBPC Submits 2 nd Formal Data Request for Bargaining Sessions And Proposals: “All proposals and written information” made by the City or Police Federation.
March 16, 2020 – City Denies Having Any Written Information, Closes Data Requests: City provides dates of past sessions but claims information “does not include proposals.”
May 25, 2020 - Torture And Murder Of George Floyd: the Minneapolis uprising with the burning down of the 3rd precinct showed the decades-long pent-up rage of the community. The harm reduction efforts of the MFBPC recommendations are but the first step in a tall ladder for needed police reforms and community safety beyond policing.
February 5, 2021– Bureau Of Mediation Services Condemns City Actions: Michael Stockstead, BMS Deputy Commissioner: “I am disappointed the City of Minneapolis has chosen not to comply with statute with regard to the public meeting citation of PELRA” [Public Employee Labor Relations Act], requiring public access to public negotiations.
June 17, 2021– MFBPC Files Lawsuit Against The City: 2 years after MFBPC’s informal requests and two Data Requests, the lawsuit is to retrieve all written information that was passed across the public negotiations table.
June 22, 2021– Police Federation Files Motion To Come In As A Party: The Police Federation Motion To Intervene seeks to give it status as a party to the lawsuit.
October 19, 2021 – City Files Motion To Dismiss MFBPC Lawsuit: City filed Motion For Judgment On The Pleadings that if successful would result in dismissal. The City continues to insist that, “The March 16, 2020 response was thorough and appropriate to the request. Closure of the request at that time was appropriate.”
February 1, 2022 – City Provides 109-Pages Of Written Documentation, Including Proposals, Not Previously Disclosed: After almost 11 months of denying there were any written documents, specifically proposals, the City turned over these documents with no explanation for the delay, and no apology.
February 22, 2022 – Judge Denies City Motion And Dismisses Police Federation Intervention Motion: Minneapolis District Court Judge Bridget Sullivan denied the City’s motion based on the Minnesota Government Data Practice Act, and allowed the case to proceed, specifically upholding MFBPC’s “claim for … notes.”
March 14, 2022 – City Provides An Additional 82-Pages Of Written Documentation: again, no explanation, apology, or indication of problems with the Data Request process.
October 13, 2022 – Settlement With City Through Court Involvement: Judge Sullivan commented on the record:
“The City’s contracts with the police union did not move forward with everything that we had hoped would move forward after the killing of George Floyd, with a different kind of policing in our City. But, I know that change comes very hard and slow. And, I do think that there are people of good faith in the City that want that to work for the City, that want to see this happen. I also know that change doesn’t come without pressure from people like the Plaintiffs.”
November 1 and 7, 2022 – a formal stipulated settlement between MFBPC and the City is executed on November 1, 2022, with unanimous approval by the City Council on November 7, 2022.
In a David versus Goliath-type victory MFBPC prevailed against the legal machine of the City to achieve remarkable concessions from the City, including the following:
(1) The City will make public all public negotiations sessions over three “subsequent labor agreements” through December 31, 2028;
(2) The City will “publish on the public City of Minneapolis administered website the dates, times and locations of all public bargaining sessions between the city and the Police Officers Federation of Minneapolis in advance of those public negotiation sessions, or in the same manner as other public meetings are noticed.
(3) The City will recognize “its continuing obligations to follow and comply with PELRA.”
(4) The City also agrees to pay out $60,000 in Attorney’s Fees to MFBPC.
November 18, 2022 – MFBPC Begins Its 2 nd Round Of Contract Recommendations: MFBPC “scrubbed” the new contract, compared it to the former contract, and now has 22 Recommendations to bring to the public and City Council. With support of several Council Members, MFBPC will be making a presentation on our recommendations to a City Council Committee in the fall of 2023.