The Houston City Council approved a new labor agreement, granting nearly 12,000 city workers pay raises and better conditions.

The City of Houston ratified a labor agreement covering more than 11,000 municipal workers. It includes boosts in pay, a higher minimum wage, mandatory rest breaks and post-retirement health insurance.

Employees will get an additional $116 per pay period in the first year, and base wages will increase by 3.5 percent in the second and third years.

Houston City Council finalized a contract agreement Oct. 23 between the city of Houston and the Houston Organization of Public Employees.

Houston City Council approved pay raises and base pay increases for city employees after unanimously voting to ratify its municipal workers' sixth contract. The contract includes a $3,000 flat raise in an employee’s first year at City Hall,