The San Diego City Council refused to force a new contract on firefighters Monday night. Firefighters are at an impasse with the mayor over pay and benefits. The mayor says a raise is off the table. KPBS reporter Andrew Phelps has the story.
It’s been two years since the firefighters got a raise and they want one now. Six percent for veterans, eight percent for the rookies, plus health benefits. Mayor Jerry Sanders refuses.
Sanders : Times are tough around the city right now, and absent strong and compelling market conditions that argue otherwise, no employee group should get a raise.
But Sanders did negotiate a raise with police officers this year, and last night, the city council approved it. Sanders says the cops got a raise because of a recruiting and retention crisis.
Firefighter Chet Bertell of union Local 145 says fire faces the same staffing crisis if wages stay frozen.
Bertell : Fifty percent of our recruits in our academy right now are leaving because of the fact that they’re either getting a job somewhere else, or they’re just outright failing because we don’t have the caliber of recruit that we used to have.
If the mayor’s impasse gets council approval, negotiations would stop. So union leaders told council members they’re willing to negotiate lower, maybe down to four percent. Council President Scott Peters says that’s high -- but zero is insulting. Most council members support some kind of raise. Government watchdog Carl DeMaio says the city can’t afford any more than zero.
DeMaio : I know Mr. Peters that you mentioned it’s just four million dollars. Four million here, five million there, six million there. Before you know it we’re talking about real money. And it’s the taxpayers’ money.
Council members deliberated for hours on whether to support the mayor’s impasse. In the sixth hour they decided to wait. Negotiations continue today. Andrew Phelps, KPBS News.
