Negotiators for the Austin Firefighters Association (AFA) and city management appear to have reached an impasse. AFA President Bob Nicks called the city’s current offer “disrespectful to those who risk their lives daily.”
Nicks noted that he told the city manager and City Council in January that firefighters want a work week reduction and the same kind of wage offer EMS and Austin Police have achieved.
Basically, Nicks said, while police and EMS employees received wage increases close to 6 percent, 5 percent and 4 percent, the city is offering most firefighters no general wage increase in the first, second, third and fourth years of the contract. The city is proposing to give one half of firefighters, a 4 percent raise the first year.
Nicks wrote, “The City stated that they will use the savings from not paying a general wage increase over a 4-year period to hire more firefighters for the work week reduction.” In addition, Nicks said firefighters would actually be required to work more hours under the city’s proposal.
Finally, Nicks said the city team has “totally disregarded the 2 years of productive AFA labor/management subcommittee work on the work week reduction. Instead, they are proposing their own ideas, which INCREASE the work week, making the new schedule unworkable.”
A spokesperson for the city of Austin told the Austin Monitor via email: “The City presented a proposal on September 10 based on market rate studies of comparable fire departments. The City’s proposal served as a starting point for discussion and included a plan to achieve the union’s desired modified schedule and reduced work week. Rather than offer a counterproposal, the AFA walked away from negotiations. The City values all of our employees and first responders, including our firefighters, and would like the AFA to return to the table and resume negotiations.
“We were recently successful in protecting our firefighters’ pension, implementing a 2 % increase to their hourly rate, and reducing their work hours. The City is committed to negotiating in good faith and we are confident that we can reach a reasonable agreement with all parties at the table.”
Ron DeLord, who is the attorney for the firefighters, wrote that the city is trying to force them into binding arbitration and not have to pay competitive wages or offer an appropriate work week. DeLord urged members to educate those firefighters who are not vested to look at jobs in other cities. In addition, he wrote that current firefighters should inform prospective Austin Fire Department employees that they will not be able to get a raise for the next four years. Finally, DeLord proposed that firefighters vote on whether to support, oppose or remain neutral on the November 4 tax rate election since they will not be receiving any of the additional funding if the ballot measure passes.
Although negotiations are scheduled to continue through next week and must be concluded by September 28, Nicks said he and DeLord do not expect the city to change its position and therefore a meeting next week is unlikely.
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