Austin firefighters have new contract in place

After years of heated negotiations, and about a year without a contract in place, Austin firefighters finally have an agreement with the city in place.

The contract, which is effective immediately, comes from an three-member arbitration panel. Unlike a normal contract process, it does not require further approval from the Austin Firefighters Association (AFA) or City Council. In addition, neither the city nor the union can reject the contract, which will be in place until October 2025.

A press release from the city touts base wage increases of 4 percent for the three years of the contract, starting retroactively in Fiscal Year 2023 and a 6 percent lump sum payment. In addition, the new contract eliminates random and post-accident drug testing, and exemptions from discipline for prescribed cannabis use. The contract also adds Juneteenth as a paid holiday and shortens firefighters’ workweeks by one hour. 

AFA President Bob Nicks told the Austin Monitor that the reduction in hours would give firefighters some real relief, but remains aspirational until the details are worked out. As far as pay goes, though, he said AFA members remain dissatisfied.

“This is not the agreement that we had been promised, or the agreement the firefighters need to stay whole. This stops the bleeding. For that, we appreciate it, but it’s not what was promised,” said Nicks, who explained that the rapid cost-of-living increases that have struck Austin have made the pay increases in the new contract look more reasonable than they are in reality.

Nicks notes that, during the 2017 contract negotiation process, firefighters agreed to lower pay raises with the promise that they would stay at the same purchasing power in this contract. “They broke that promise,” said Nicks. “They said those are just words, and words don’t matter.”

Moreover, Nicks classified the salary comparisons employed by the city that compared their jobs to low-skilled ones as “disrespectful.” 

“It’s really taken morale, and made it much much worse,” said Nicks. “I wouldn’t be surprised if you see some actions come out of it in terms of censures or votes of no confidence in the future. It was very, very harsh on the firefighters.”

In response to the new labor contract, the city released a statement of its own.

“This arbitration has been a new and rather protracted process, but we are pleased with the arbitrator panel’s decision and award. We believe we have arrived at a good result for both the Austin Firefighters Association and the City,” said acting Assistant City Manager Bruce Mills in a statement to the press. “That said, and regardless of our belief that the arbitration panel delivered us a fair decision, going forward, our hope and continued goal is that we will be able to mutually achieve the next labor contract with the Firefighters Association through the collective bargaining process.” 

Photo by J.Köster, made available through a Creative Commons license, via Wikimedia Commons.

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