Firefighters union reaches deal with Tampa officials

Breaking a nine-month stalemate, the union representing Tampa's firefighters today 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, couldn't immediately be reached.

From here, the tentative agreement goes to the union's rank-and-file membership for a vote. If ratified, a 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, the issue would go before the council.

Last year, the firefighters union won unanimous council approval for pay 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.

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

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.