The Chicago Tribune recently published a report detailing the progress of a new contract for Chicago firefighters:
Chicago firefighters are set to receive an 11% pay raise over five years under a proposed agreement that was approved by the City Council’s Workforce Development and Audit Committee on Tuesday. The deal, which has already been supported by the rank-and-file members of Firefighters Union Local 2, is now heading for a full council vote next week.
Ald. Michele Smith, representing the 43rd Ward, praised the deal, saying, “I couldn’t think of a person in America who wouldn’t enjoy that kind of wage increase.†She emphasized the importance of reaching an agreement to avoid potential strikes, adding, “This is a significant step for our city’s financial health.â€
Joseph Franczek, the city’s outside labor attorney, noted that firefighters could have received even larger raises if the issue had gone to arbitration. However, this deal marks the smallest wage increase for firefighters since 1981. “I would submit to you that this is really a pretty reasonable agreement,†he said.
The total cost of the contract over five years will be $80 million, according to Franczek. The agreement covers 4,645 firefighters, emergency medical technicians, and emergency medical personnel. It runs through June 2017 and is retroactive to June 30, 2012, meaning the city must pay $27.6 million in back pay this year. A city spokesperson confirmed that these funds have already been allocated.
In previous years, negotiations with the Fraternal Order of Police (FOP) typically took place first, setting a precedent for firefighter union talks. This time, however, the firefighters’ contract was finalized first. Talks with the FOP are still ongoing and may conclude this fall, according to Joseph Martinico, the city’s chief labor negotiator.
The agreement also includes provisions to upgrade 15 basic life support ambulances to advanced life support units by next year, increasing the number of advanced ambulances to 75 daily. Additionally, firefighters who are also EMTs will see small increases in their "incentive" pay, though those hired after January 1, 2024, will need to work longer before qualifying for the increase.
Retirees between the ages of 55 and 60 who retire this year will now be required to contribute 2% of their monthly retirement checks toward health insurance costs until they reach Medicare eligibility. Currently, the city covers all such costs.
One important condition of the pay increase is tied to the city’s pension systems. Both police and firefighter pensions are severely underfunded, and the state legislature has yet to address this issue. If any new pension reforms are passed that increase firefighter pension contributions beyond the current 9.125%, the union will have the right to reopen the contract to negotiate wages.
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