The city and Austin Firefighters Association have once again reached a tentative agreement for a four-year labor deal, weeks after approval of a previous version was temporarily put on hold due to concerns over a separate union-backed ballot measure.
In a nutshell
More than two months after the conclusion of labor negotiations between the city and AFA, which represents most Austin firefighters, talks were restarted to clarify some outstanding issues raised after the initial draft agreement was announced in September. Two days of bargaining Dec. 4-5 resulted in a new tentative deal between both sides that now heads to final approval by AFA's membership and City Council.
The original contract framework provided for firefighter pay increases over the coming years as well as changes to recruitment and promotion processes aimed at growing and maintaining the Austin Fire Department force. The deal also set up the "Austin Schedule," a new staffing format to reduce firefighters' weekly hours once implemented.
Both City Manager T.C. Broadnax and AFA President Bob Nicks announced their support for the first agreement proposed in September, which was also backed by a majority of AFA members before it was pulled from a scheduled council vote Nov. 20. That contract was never ratified due to city officials' concerns over potential budget impacts of a May ballot measure petition launched by the AFA after the deal was reached.
A closer look
The AFA's "Safer Austin" petition measure aims to require four-person staffing on city fire apparatus. While that national safety standard was enacted by city leaders in 2018, the AFA sought to permanently cement it in Austin's charter after lower staffing allowances were discussed—but not implemented—during this summer's budget deliberations.
The Safer Austin measure would make four-person staffing a fundamental charter requirement, a higher bar than the council-approved ordinance that's now on the books. Officials said they still want to ensure four-person staffing but took issue with another petition provision: one that'd prevent changes to fire department operations, like closing stations or taking engines out of service, unless Austin reaches "severe financial crisis."
Council members and other city staff said that could be interpreted as meaning other city services, from public safety response to parks and libraries, would be at risk of cuts before any reductions could be made to AFD. Officials said they couldn't approve a firefighter labor deal without more information about that proposal, prompting the latest round of bargaining in early December.
The draft contract outlined Dec. 5 includes language clarifying that Austin's chief financial officer would have to certify a state of "financial crisis" before any operational changes can move forward. Then, a joint city-AFA committee would convene for further review of the budgeting situation before making recommendations on operational impacts. A similar process would play out if AFD's approved budget is ever up for midyear cuts due to "unforeseen" circumstances.
What's next
AFA members are scheduled to vote on the agreement Dec. 15-17, and council members will vote Dec. 11 to extend Austin's current contract with the AFA that's now set to expire Dec. 29. The city didn't respond to a question about the deal's adoption timeline as of press time, although Labor Relations Officer Roxana Stevens said last details are still being worked out.
“We are pleased to share that the City and the Austin Firefighters Association have reached a tentative agreement. Both sides are working today to finalize the remaining details, and we believe this is a strong outcome for the community we serve, the Union, and the City," she said in a statement.
During the Dec. 5 negotiating session, Stevens also said the Safer Austin charter amendment won't be needed under the new labor agreement. Despite the revisions, the AFA plans to continue its Safer Austin campaign and will submit its petition to be validated in January for placement on the May ballot—unless a contract is ratified this year.
“The firefighters promised our community that we would not withdraw the SAFER AUSTIN petition unless a new agreement offered strong protections for both firefighters and the citizens we are sworn to serve. With this proposed agreement, we have kept that promise,” Nicks said in a statement.
Nicks also said the AFA will monitor any future decisions that could lead fire engines or stations to be shut down. If those changes take place without Austin reaching a "true" fiscal crisis, Nicks said the association would work to "rectify this through the political process."
