Florida Town Seeks Merit-Based Pay System for Firefighters

Contract negotiations will resume Thursday between the town and the union representing the rank-and-file firefighters in hopes of finalizing terms of a new contract.

Both sides last met on Sept. 26 and left the bargaining table with one sticking point: the formula for salaries and raises.

Town and union representatives will meet at 9 a.m. at the South Fire Station.

Local 2928 of the International Association of Firefighters wants to keep the salary step plan, which establishes raises for employees at each step in their careers.

The town wants firefighters to switch to a merit-based system, which is used by all other employees. In that system, raises are based on employee evaluations completed by their supervisors. Union representatives argued against a merit-based system, saying it could allow favored employees to get the largest raises while others receive significantly less.

Jeffrey Mandel, the town’s labor attorney, has said the merit system rewards the highest-performing employees and provides raises for everyone who receives a satisfactory evaluation.

Rank-and-file firefighters are the only town employees represented by a union.

At the last session, the town agreed that if fire lieutenants are granted a “Kelly Day” or other similar scheduled day off from work, unionized fire employees also would receive that benefit. A Kelly Day is an unpaid day off every three weeks that firefighters nationwide typically receive. Lieutenants currently do not have Kelly Days.

In July, firefighters received up to a 4 percent pay increase thanks to an agreement between the town and union representatives. The town offered the one-time agreement — outside of contract negotiations — allowing firefighters to receive raises on the anniversary date of their hire or promotion in 2014. Firefighters hadn’t received raises in the four years before that.

The last time the sides went through contract talks , the town declared an impasse in June 2010. A special magistrate listened to both sides and filed a report. The Town Council rejected the magistrate’s recommendations, triggering a packed public hearing in April 2011. In a 3-2 vote, the council imposed a contract, eliminating longevity bonuses, increasing the work week by eliminating Kelly Days and instituting a pay freeze unless negotiated through collective bargaining.

If the two sides reach an agreement, the department’s unionized employees would vote on it. If a majority accept it, the contract would go before the Town Council for approval. The three-year, retroactive contract — if approved — would remain in effect until Sept. 30, 2016.

— mdargan@ pbdailynews.com Twitter: @MicheleDargan