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Police, fire unions not seeking raises

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By LAURA KINSLER

lkinsler@tampatrib.com

Published: July 10, 2009

ZEPHYRHILLS - A new union contract used to mean an annual pay raise for city police and firefighters. But in today's lean economic times, those are days of the past.

Police and firefighter unions are negotiating contracts this summer, but neither is asking for pay increase, City Manager Steve Spina said.

City employees did not get pay raises this year, and they won't under Spina's proposed fiscal 2010 budget. Both unions are seeking new three-year contracts.

"We understand there's no money," said Shawn Baptist, a former firefighter who serves as the union's representative. "For the last two years, we agreed to whatever the city offered."

Spina said the police union has asked for an additional personal day. Firefighters want the city to increase pay for holiday work and reinstate a driver-engineer pay grade.

"The old administration got rid of that position," Baptist said. "If we bring it back, we have six people who would be eligible for a 5 percent raise."

The police union has not begun its formal contract negotiations. The firefighters' union has held one session with city representatives. Baptist said it went "smoothly."

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