Firefighters reach deal with Tampa officials

Breaking a nine-month deadlock, the union representing Tampa's firefighters on Thursday reached a tentative agreement with city officials on a new contract for 2010.

Leaders of the International Association of Firefighters Local 754 have agreed to forgo a cost-of-living raise and step increases for firefighters who qualified this fiscal year.

In exchange, the city has agreed not to require random drug testing for firefighters and to provide $114,000 this year in tuition reimbursement for firefighters attending school.

"We saw the writing on the wall," said Jace Kohan, secretary-treasurer of the firefighter's union. "Hopefully the economy will improve next year and we can get our steps back."

Kimberly Crum, the city's human resources director, confirmed the tentative deal, which effectively ends nearly a year of tense negotiations between city and union officials.

"We appreciate that they recognized the situation for what is was," Crum said.

From here, the tentative agreement goes to the union's rank-and-file membership for a vote. If ratified, the new contract would be presented to the city council for approval.

Both sides went before a magistrate Oct. 22, and a ruling was not expected until next year. If the parties didn't resolve the impasse, it would have gone before the council.

The breakthrough comes one week after the city council voted to deny police officers step pay increases this fiscal year, a move that was recommended by Mayor Pam Iorio and a special magistrate brought in to resolve the contentious impasse.

The Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1464, which represents nearly 2,000 of Tampa's general employees, had previously agreed to no pay raises or step increases in 2010.

Last year, the firefighters union won unanimous council approval for raises totaling nearly 10 percent for union members who qualified. Mayor Pam Iorio had wanted much less.

But that was then.

Faced with a $51 million deficit, Iorio imposed a wage freeze and provided no funding for pay raises in the fiscal 2010 budget. She said granting raises for police, fire and general employees would cost the city more than $12.6 million, forcing layoffs and service cuts.

Firefighters had previously agreed to forgo cost-of-living raises this fiscal year, but had wanted step increases - promotions awarded to firefighters as they work their way up through the ranks - for roughly 300 who qualified, or about half of the department.

The union said the increases would have only cost the city about $740,000 this fiscal year, but city officials put the estimate at $820,788, including pension contributions.

The city has pledged to consider reinstating the step increases next fiscal year. But that would be subject to negotiations and depend on the city's financial situation next year.

Firefighters have been without a contract since Oct. 1, the beginning of the fiscal year.

Because state labor laws require the existing contract to be honored during an impasse, about 50 firefighters have already been approved for step increases this fiscal year.

Iorio has vowed to force them to pay back that money, once a contract is approved.