Mayor Turner Announces Agreement with Municipal Employees' Union

HOUSTON - Mayor Sylvester Turner announced a tentative pay raise agreement between the City of Houston and the Houston Organization of Public Employees (HOPE), the union that represents municipal employees. 

The agreement will raise the minimum hourly pay rate for City employees to $14.25. Previously, that rate was $13. The agreement also approves across-the-board annual raises of 3% for the next three years. The raises will occur in October 2021, July 2022, and July 2023. 
 
"Today’s tentative agreement is the result of active participation in the ratification process that both management and labor worked on during the past few months," said Mayor Turner. "I am grateful to HOPE leadership for being willing to sit down at the table and negotiate an increase that the city can afford and benefits municipal employees and their families." 
 
"Our membership has been essential in keeping the community running, especially during the pandemic," said HOPE President Roy Sanchez. "Throughout the negotiation process, there have been some disagreements, but we are glad to say that the process does work." 
 
HOPE represents more than 11,000 City of Houston municipal workers. The tentative agreement is subject to ratification by HOPE members and approval by Council Action. 

In addition to the agreement reached with HOPE, Mayor Turner and the city council previously approved an 18% pay increase over three years for Houston firefighters. Mayor Turner said the City continues to negotiate with the Houston Police Officers Union (HPOU).