A 10 percent raise for all the police unions would cost the city about $260 million a year.
The difference in race and political power, they said, made the city more willing to make concessions to the police union.
The police union is expected to begin talks for a new contract in the next few weeks.
The police union says the contract all but pays for itself.
The police union, however, later said it would no longer push this demand.
Now the leaders of the police union are trying to kill the deal.
The mayor also said the city's offer to the police union was fair.
The police union is asking for a 22 percent raise over 24 months.
The primary lobbyists against this is the police union, of which they are members.
And the police union made clear that it had changed some of its internal policies.