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Pasco Should Water Down Fire-Rescue Union Demands

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The Tampa Tribune

Published: October 23, 2007

The union representing Pasco County firefighters and paramedics obviously believes taxpayers have money to burn, and a state hearing officer apparently agrees.

Siding with the union recently on a key dispute with the county, a Florida Public Employee Relations Commission special magistrate recommended the county give union members a whopping 20 percent pay raise over three years, retroactive to 2006, concluding they were drastically underpaid.

The breakdown would be 10 percent initially, followed by additional 5 percent increases two years in a row. The increases would cost millions.

Such staggering demands are becoming all too common for police and firefighter unions, which seem to think taxpayers owe them a blank check.

And once exorbitant increases are awarded in one jurisdiction, they spread like wildfire to surrounding communities. The special magistrate, for instance, reasoned Pasco firefighters were due hefty raises because they were not paid as much as firefighters in Hillsborough and Tampa.

Where does it all end?

Fortunately for taxpayers, the special magistrate's recommendations aren't binding on county commissioners, who have been trying since February 2006 to reach their first contract with Pasco County Professional Fire Fighters Local 4420. They should be rejected.

Many taxpayers are struggling. Property taxes and property and heath insurance bills have skyrocketed in recent years along with the cost of fuel and other necessities.

And like other local governments under a legislative mandate to reduce spending, Pasco recently had to cut its budget by nearly $16 million. Further reductions could be coming if the Legislature's plans for additional property tax reform are approved.

Even in better economic times, a 20 percent raise over three years for public employees is ridiculous. You'd be hard-pressed to find a taxpayer who received such an increase in the private sector.

The county's salary package is fair. It is giving union members 2.5 percent raises awarded other county employees last fall.

In addition, union members, like other county workers, are eligible for merit raises of up to 7 percent a year, a generous amount. Other salary adjustments are possible every three to five years pursuant to a wage study.

Firefighters and paramedics shouldn't be denied good wages. Their jobs are challenging, and the public's safety is paramount. But they should understand that government isn't a cash cow.

The union also has the audacity to expect taxpayers to pay its members' full salaries for up to nine months when they're unable to work due to injury on the job. The county is offering a reasonable seven days' pay, with workman's compensation after that - the same compensation provided non-union members.

It's unreasonable to require taxpayers to pay an injured employee's full salary for such a long time. Workers can always purchase supplemental insurance and other protections to pay the bills in the event they're unable to work.

If Pasco commissioners give in to the union demands, you can be sure in future years even more unrealistic demands will be made of taxpayers, whose financial welfare should be a key part of this debate.

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