UFOA Votes To Ratify Contract By 4-1 Margin

UFOA Votes To Ratify Contract By 4-1 Margin


Nearly 2,000 members of the Uniformed Fire Officers Association voted overwhelmingly to ratify their collective bargaining agreement with the city Aug. 10.

JOHN J. McDONNELL: Hails 'open door.' Members submitted their votes by mail and ratified the contract with 81 percent of the vote, with 1,706 votes in favor of ratification and 397 opposed.

Big Raise for Some

Under the contract, some officers will now be paid time-and-a-half for certain training days, whereas before they received regular pay.

Starting salaries for Lieutenants will rise by more than $8,500 and for Supervising Fire Marshals by more than $14,000.

Under the pact, which is retroactive to March 20 of this year and will run through March 19, 2011, as of next March 20 minimum pay for all Lieutenants promoted since March 1, 2006 would be $75,000 - compared to the old starting rate of $66,435 - and maximum pay, reached after four years in the rank, would move from $78,695 to $87,798. Supervising Fire Marshals would see their minimum salary rise from $72,615 to $87,400 next March, and the maximum would jump from $86,061 to $96,016.

UFOA President John J. McDonnell has stated that the provisions of this contract are dramatically better than those under the last one.

"This contract includes two very unique and significant benefits," Battalion Chief McDonnell wrote to members Aug. 10. "Yes, they are not available to the entire membership, but there is now recognition for extra duties and responsibilities. There is now an open door for additional members to be included in the future."