DETROIT – Detroit's post-bankruptcy finances are locked in and its police officers are not making a lot of money. However, there is a push to allow more money to get to them if it ever shows up in the budget.

The Detroit Police Officer's Association cites starting pay for officers in the city at $28,466 a year, which is much less than Chicago's $43,000 or Los Angeles' $50,000.

What doesn't help is that Detroit officers' hourly pay is $15.26 cut by eight percent for pension obligations, and after the healthcare contribution, officers make $12.29 before taxes.

DPOA union chief Mark Diaz wants that to change.

"I am pursuing a better wage for front line police officers in the City of Detroit," Diaz said.

He's gained support in Lansing for a bill that would exempt the beat cop from the "most favored nation" status.

In union negotiating parlance, most favored nation is the "me too" clause. It says that if one group of public safety officers gets a raise, they all do. But, oftentimes, cities say it's too expensive to give everyone a raise, therefore no one gets one.

"The only way we are going to be able to hire police officers in Detroit is we have to pay right. The idea we're looking for is to let the front line police officer stand alone. Let's focus on the officers who are responding to the crisis calls for help at 3 p.m. Let's hold them apart and let's pay them appropriately," Diaz said.

Detroit's front line officers would get two percent raises next year and in 2017.

While it sounds logical, it flies in the face of about 70 years of union negotiating practice and it is torqueing off union leaders like John Barr, who represents the EMT's union.

"They might as well be right to work then because that's not unionist," Barr said.

The bill, which would only affect Detroit police officers, appears to have both democrat and republic support in Lansing.