The FOP Contract and Police Discipline

The FOP contract and police discipline refers to the way the labor agreement between the City of Philadelphia and FOP Lodge 5 governs how officers of the Philadelphia Police Department are investigated, disciplined and, if fired, may appeal. The contract is set by negotiation or by interest arbitration under Pennsylvania's Act 111, not by City Council.^[1]

1 How discipline works

Internal Affairs and other units investigate complaints; residents can also file complaints through the Citizens Police Oversight Commission, which refers them to Internal Affairs (see Police Accountability Systems). Where discipline is serious, a Police Board of Inquiry hears the case and recommends a penalty; the police commissioner decides. Officers who are disciplined may grieve the decision, and the union may take a termination to binding labor arbitration before a neutral arbitrator, who decides whether the city had "just cause." Under Act 111, courts review such awards only narrowly.^[2]

2 Arbitration outcomes

Newspaper analyses describe a high rate of success for the union. The Philadelphia Inquirer reported in 2019 that, in the cases it examined from 2011 to 2019, arbitration overturned or reduced discipline about 70 percent of the time and that the city paid substantial back pay. A 2024 Inquirer analysis, also reported by Axios Philadelphia, said that between 2022 and early 2024 arbitrators reinstated 85 percent of fired officers whose terminations the FOP contested. The Inquirer also reported in 2025 on disputes over deleted disciplinary records. These are reports of outcomes in individual cases, based on the newspaper's reading of the records, and they do not resolve questions about any particular officer. Arbitration decisions turn on the evidence record, the discipline of other officers in similar situations, and the contract's procedures.^[2]

3 The 2025 award and oversight

In the 2025 interest arbitration, the city sought changes to discipline procedures, and the union sought rollbacks of transparency and accountability measures. According to City & State and other reports, the award did not adopt the union's rollbacks, denied the FOP's proposal to exclude the Citizen Police Oversight Commission, and made one discipline-related change: reinstatement is contingent on completing all conditions of employment. Critics, including some reform advocates, said the contract fell short of disciplinary reform, while the union has said that arbitration protects officers' due process. The wage and benefit terms, which the city announced on August 15, 2025 as 3 percent increases in each of fiscal years 2026 and 2027, a $3,000 bonus and longevity-pay adjustments tied to civilianization, are summarized in FOP Lodge 5.^[3]

4 Perspectives

City leaders note that Act 111 gives arbitrators wide authority and courts narrow review; see Public Sector Bargaining in Pennsylvania. Reform groups, including those described in Good Government Groups, argue that reinstatement rates undermine accountability. The union responds that its members are entitled to a fair process. Residents with complaints about police conduct can use channels described in Police Accountability Systems and How to File a Complaint. This article is general civic information, not legal advice.

See also: Philadelphia District Attorney's Office, Labor and Politics in Philadelphia.

References

1. City of Philadelphia, "City announces interest arbitration award with the Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 5" (August 15, 2025), phila.gov.
2. Philadelphia Inquirer, "Philadelphia police arbitration misconduct" (February 22, 2024); Axios Philadelphia, "Fired Philly police officers reinstated in arbitration years later" (February 21, 2024); Philadelphia Inquirer 2019 arbitration investigation (September 30, 2019).
3. City & State Pennsylvania, "New Philly police union contract falls short on disciplinary reform"; Philadelphia Inquirer, "Police arbitration FOP Philadelphia CPOC" (January 29, 2025) and "Philadelphia police arbitration FOP deleted records" (July 10, 2025).