By Eva Ruth Moravec
The San Antonio Express-News
SAN ANTONIO — After 16 months of negotiations, the San Antonio City Council is expected today to approve a new 5-year contract with the San Antonio Professional Fire Fighters’ Association that, among other things, will raise pay by 11 percent over the next few years.
“Ultimately, I think both parties came out with something that’s definitely going to make things better for our citizens, and both parties’ priorities were addressed,” said SAPFFA president Chris Steele.
Union membership approved the draft, which is on the council’s consent agenda, in a 799 to 85 vote last Friday, Steele said. City staff approved the contract, sending it to council for final approval.
“I think Chief (Charles) Hood is tickled with the contract,” said Assistant Chief Noel Horan Jr., who represented Hood during the negotiations. “We were able to address areas that we wanted to, and address issues that were important to him.”
One such area is beefing up administration, Horan said, which has been a concern for Hood since he arrived in San Antonio in 2007. Included in the proposed contract is a monthly incentive of $450 for positions within fire administration, fire prevention and fire support positions. Hood originally asked for a $600 incentive, according to Horan and Steele.
“It’s definitely more than what they’re getting now,” Horan said. "(Hood’s) hope is to fill administrative positions with people who are talented and want to be there. The 8-to-5 position is not nearly as attractive to most firefighters as our shift work.”
Steele said the item was a hard pill for the union to swallow, as members questioned whether those on the administrative side should earn more than their counterparts on the operations staff.
“That was a really big point of contention,” Steele said. “We had to go out there and educate them on why this was important. But right now, we have this revolving door.”
If the contract is approved, administrators won’t be the only ones receiving a raise. Firefighters would receive back pay for a 2 percent pay raise in 2010, would receive 2.2 percent more this year, and 3.4 percent next year and in 2013. Firefighters’ back pay in 2010 will cost the city about $60,000, which is available in extra funds from the city’s aviation fund, according to city documents.
The contract, which would be retroactively effective Oct. 1, 2009, would replace one that expired nearly two years ago and would last until 2014. An evergreen clause in the union contracts allows them to remain in place up to 10 years after they expire. Firefighters did not receive raises in 2009.
Other changes in the proposed contract include:
- adding a Deputy Chief position
- authorizing Hood to test anyone involved in an on-duty city vehicle crash for drugs and alcohol
- raising the level of pay, in staggered amounts, for paramedics assigned to fire units
- incrementally increasing firefighters’ clothing allowances from $500 to $1,220
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