The details
Since earlier this summer, the Austin Firefighters Association—the union representing the Austin Fire Department—has been negotiating with city officials for a four-year labor contract.
The agreement made Sept. 26 is set to be ratified by AFA then approved by City Council members in October. It includes:
- Pay increases for all four years of the agreement
- A reduced work schedule to be known as the “Austin Schedule”
- A new, more-streamlined promotion process
- More flexible hiring, including the ability to hire already-certified firefighters
Diving deeper
The pay increases included in the tentative agreement include a pay scale adjustment in the first year of the contract. This would increase pay by 2.9%, depending on position and tenure in AFD. Entry-level salaries would increase by 5.5% to support recruitment, according to a city news release.
A cumulative 10.5% wage increase would occur over the final three years of the contract, resulting in a 3%, 3.5% and 4% increase in the respective years, according to the release.
The contract also aims to eventually reduce the hours firefighters work to an average 49.9 hour work week. To do this, additional firefighters will need to be hired. The new schedule for the work week would be fully implemented by October 2027, according to the release.
“The AFA is pleased to reach a tentative agreement to take to our membership for consideration that includes an implementation plan for a new work schedule that will provide the much needed recovery time between their arduous work shifts,” AFA representatives said in a statement. “We also appreciate the fair and equitable pay advancements that will help with the recruitment and retention of our workforce.”
