UFA to Use Reopener To Match PBA Hikes

Seeking Extra 3.5%
UFA to Use Reopener To Match PBA Hikes


The Uniformed Firefighters Association May 20 announced it would exercise the reopener clause in its last wage pact to pursue the raises under the Patrolmen's Benevolent Association arbitration award handed down last week that exceeded by 3.5 percent those it negotiated.

The Chief-Leader/Alana Marcu GOING BACK FOR MORE: Uniformed Firefighters Association President Steve Cassidy May 20 said that the city had enough money to provide Firefighters with the same raises granted in last week's Patrolmen's Benevolent Association arbitration award. 'We are absolutely underpaid,' he said.

During a press conference at the union's Manhattan headquarters, President Steve Cassidy said that the union has halted negotiations with the city for its 2008-2010 contract to renegotiate the terms of the 2004-2006 pact.

A 3.5% Gap in Wages

The PBA arbitration award granted raises of 4.5 and 5 percent and upgraded the starting salary to $35,881, with some givebacks - including the loss of 10 vacation days for new employees. A UFA deal reached in March 2007, which gave Firefighters raises totaling 8.16 percent over two years, contained a reopener clause that allowed the union to return to negotiations if another union gained raises larger than the 3 and 3.15 percent Mr. Cassidy previously agreed to for virtually the same period covered by the PBA award. Police Officer and Firefighter maximum salaries have been linked for more than a century.

Mr. Cassidy did not specify what kinds of concessions the union was willing to make, but said he would be pushing for the same raises provided in the PBA award. In order to upgrade starting pay last year, he agreed to reductions in the number of holidays, annuity payments and night-shift differential for new Firefighters during their first five years of service.

'Simple' Math

"It is more in terms of dollar value for Police Officers than was negotiated for Firefighters," he said of the PBA award. "We're looking for the difference. It's that simple."

Starting salary for a Firefighter is $36,400, and after five years, a Firefighter gets a base salary of $68,475, and with fringe pay, earns $86,518. Those numbers all reflect raises from a contract due to run through July 31, while the PBA award only lasts through July 31, 2006.

"We're the best firefighters in the world, we have the most dangerous job in the world, we are absolutely underpaid," Mr. Cassidy said.

In a statement, Mayor Bloomberg said that the city would spend approximately $50 million annually more than was anticipated as a result of the PBA award and would spend $135 million more for other uniformed services retroactively for 2005 to 2008 if the other unions negotiated similar raises by exercising the reopener provisions in their contracts.

"The Mayor has the money," Mr. Cassidy said. "He's already acknowledged that it's going to cost the city more. That's the reason we had the reopener language, that's the reason we fought for it and now we're going to institute it."