After two days of voting, Tacoma’s fire union agreed Friday to delay pay raises as part of $1.6 million in proposed concessions to help spare 44 firefighters from a first wave of layoffs amid the city’s budget crisis.
Matt Frank, vice president of International Association of Fire Fighters Local 31, said Friday that most of the union’s 360-plus members approved deferring a 3.6 percent cost-of-living adjustment until 2013.
City firefighters have been due that pay increase since January 2011, Frank said, but “we deferred it to help the city with some cost savings at that point.”
“So this is the second year in a row without a raise,” Frank added. “I think our membership has shown – by modifying our (Collective Bargaining Agreement) twice in the last two years to save the city money – that we’re dedicated to doing what we can to find a solution that’s best for the city, our membership and the citizens.”
Excluding overtime pay and benefits, base wages for Tacoma’s fire union now range from $45,677 for an entry-level firefighter to up to $124,883 for a top-tier medical services officer. The union’s last general pay raise, of 1 percent, came in 2010, though firefighters have continued to receive annual step increases based on tenure.
The fire union’s concessions come three days after the City Council accepted similar givebacks from the police union.
In all, the fire concessions will save about $1.6 million this year – slightly less than the police union’s package, city labor relations manager John Dryer said Friday.
The fire union’s proposal will go before the council for consideration Tuesday, he added.
Last month, amid an outcry that public safety layoffs would put the city at risk, the council agreed to postpone 100 police and fire layoffs for up to 30 days, giving the unions time to negotiate concessions.
Even if the council accepts the fire concessions as expected, some firefighters and police officers still could lose jobs as the city struggles to close a budget shortfall.
Earlier this week, Interim City Manager Rey Arellano informed the council that Tacoma’s 2011-12 general fund deficit has grown to a projected $33 million. The city so far has come up with about $20 million in savings – including the police and fire concessions – after a first round of budget adjustments.
The fire union’s proposal is nearly identical to that offered by police. One difference: The police union gave up a 1 percent payment for retroactive pay, a benefit that fire employees do not get.
Like the officers, firefighters agreed to defer a 3.6 percent COLA raise in 2012 until next year, plus give back deferred compensation benefits.
Also like police, the fire union included a condition with its concessions: Should the city lay off even a single firefighter by year’s end, it must immediately pay the postponed raises to all union members, Dryer said.
While so far praising both unions’ cooperation, City Council members also have roundly stressed that more sustainable budget solutions are needed – meaning, cuts that go beyond one-time givebacks.
Public safety remains a likely target during the next round of cuts because it makes up about 70 percent of the city’s general fund, officials have said.
City records show gross pay and benefits for Tacoma’s police and fire personnel climbed each year from 2007 to 2010, before they both dipped last year. Total police compensation rose from $40.8 million in 2007 to $45.9 million in 2010, while fire rose from $43.9 million to $48 million over the same time.
The fire union is acutely aware that these concessions won’t mean an end to discussions, Frank said.
“We’re very aware that this is just a step in the process,” he said. “As with the police union’s agreement, we believe there will be a time when we’re back at the table to address more budget issues.”
Lewis Kamb: 253-597-8542
lewis.kamb@thenewstribune.com
blog.thenewstribune.com/politics
Twitter: @lewiskamb
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