Merit Pay Negotiated for Florida Firefighters

Representatives for the town and for the firefighters’ union left the bargaining table Friday hopeful that a contract for the town’s firefighters is on the horizon.

The sticking point is the formula for salaries.

The union representing Palm Beach Fire-Rescue wants to keep the “salary-step plan,” which establishes raises for employees at each step in their careers. In the town’s proposal, the plan would be replaced with a merit-based system, as used by all other town employees. In that system, raises are based on employee evaluations.

“We want to maintain the step plan,” said Mark Floyd, attorney for Professional Firefighters/Paramedics of Palm Beach County, Local 2928. “We fought hard to get the step plan.”

The union’s argument against a merit-based system is that it potentially allows favored employees to get the largest raises while others receive much less.

Jeffrey Mandel, the town’s labor attorney, said the merit system rewards the highest-performing employees and provides a raise for nearly everyone.

“I don’t think you have any supervisors that are playing favorites and giving money to people just because they’re your buddy,” Mandel said.

Floyd said, “We did before. That’s why we got the step plan.”

In other items, the town has 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 do not have Kelly Days now.

“We’ve gotten a lot closer to this, and it’s very much appreciated,” Mandel said. “We’re not there yet on the wages, but we’re in the position that there’s something to consider. Let’s take this wage proposal back and see what we can do and work out this one last issue.”

If they reach an agreement, the department’s unionized employees then would vote on it. If a majority accept it, then it would move to the Town Council for approval.

If approved, the three-year, retroactive contract would remain in effect until Sept. 30, 2016.

— mdargan@ pbdailynews.com Twitter: @MicheleDargan