Firefighters volunteer to tweak contract to save city money

Saying it wants to help provide the city some economic relief while hoping to avoid possible furloughs, the firefighters’ union for the Maricopa Fire Department is offering two cost-saving adjustments to its contract.

Capt. Richard Jackson, president of Professional Fire Fighters of Maricopa Local 4561, told the City Council on Tuesday night the union’s members are willing to forgo the 2.5 percent salary increase slated to start in June as part of their memorandum of understanding with the city. Jackson said the firefighters are also offering to give up five of the 11 paid holidays they receive.

Both moves would equal about a 5 percent savings in firefighters’ salaries for next fiscal year, which starts July 1.

“We want to do our part and make a light contribution that might minimize any additional layoffs,” Jackson said.

Jackson said he hopes the concessions would offset any furloughs directed toward fire personnel. The possibility of furloughs for city staff of four hours a month, which would save Maricopa nearly $360,000 for fiscal year 2010, was brought up during the council’s budget and finance subcommittee meeting last Friday.

“Furloughing firefighters would place an undue burden on our administration to maintain staffing and would most likely result in temporary station closures or reduced staffing on fire trucks,” Jackson said.

Eliminating the firefighters’ salary bump puts them in line with a large number of city staff who possibly face a salary freeze that’s part of the recommended budget plan. Without the union’s offer, fire personnel would not be subject to the freeze due to the terms of the contract signed six months ago with the city.

Jackson implored the council to not look into canceling or heavily reworking the firefighters’ contract, a move other Arizona cities are exploring in light of the recession. Earlier this month, Tempe, citing a fiscal crisis clause, asked its fire union to force open its contract to help address the city’s budget woes.

“We negotiated our contract in good faith in the midst of the recession, and it is our hope that you would not press us to cancel or renegotiate the contract at this juncture,” Jackson told the council, which must vote on the union’s suggestions before they could go into effect.

The fire department is also in the midst of adjusting its pay structure, a move that will save Maricopa about $30,000 annually (see “Pay structure change could benefit firefighters, city”).

The city is in the process of trying to find ways to close a projected $11.1 million budget gap. The council was scheduled to go over recent changes to the budget plan during its work session Tuesday, but due to the absence of several council members, the budget review was postponed.

In other matters, the council approved the benefits package for city staff for next year. The city’s cost for medical benefits through Blue Cross/Blue Shield will not change from this year’s amount, but the deductible and coinsurance amounts for employees will increase, with the option of buying up to the same levels available in fiscal 2009 (see “City taking look at benefits options”).