Firefighter Delegates’ Okay UFA Deal Advances, UFOA Talks Stall

Firefighter Delegates' Okay

UFA Deal Advances, UFOA Talks Stall

The tentative contract deal between the Uniformed Firefighters' Association and the Bloomberg administration moved one step closer to ratification Dec. 8, when 338 out of 368 Battalion Delegates voted to approve it. Eighteen opposed the contract, and 12 delegates were absent.

Ballots will now be mailed to the general membership, said UFA spokesman Tom Butler, along with a list of frequently asked questions about the contract. Members should receive their ballots no later than Dec. 19.

The tally deadline is Dec. 29, and results will be announced that day. The votes will be counted by the American Arbitration Association.

DEA 'Not a Factor'

Mr. Butler said UFA President Stephen J. Cassidy was unfazed by the fact that the Detectives' Endowment Association Dec. 1 voted to reject its contract deal with the city.

That deal called for Detectives to work 18 or 23 minutes longer on each tour, depending on their current schedule, and stretched the pay scale for newlypromoted officers, among other things. In exchange, the Detectives got a 17percent raise over 48 months.

"It seems that [DEA vote] won't affect us," said Mr. Butler. "Remember, not only was our deal a wage contract, we were also able to negotiate a staffing increase for five years."

More Staff, Less Pay

Although it did extend the Roster Staffing Agreement that mandates fivefirefighter staffing for at least 60 of the city's 198 engine companies, the UFA deal also calls for a sharp reduction in pay for future hires during their first 5-1/2 years on the job.

A large portion of the first two years of wage increase is offset by the reduction in pay scale for future hires: the "Academy rate" for trainee firefighters would be $25,100. The salary would jump to $32,700 once a trainee is assigned to a firehouse. Meanwhile, Uniformed Fire Officers' Association President Peter Gorman reported little progress in his negotiations with the city. He thought it unlikely that the DEA's rejection of its deal would affect the UFOA's bargaining, but said nonetheless that he was "disappointed" with the result.

"The membership speaks, and we'll see where it goes from here," he said. "I've been moving forward on costing things and getting a good deal for my members. It's always difficult with attrition bargaining - it makes things that much tougher."