MAYOR GIULIANI ANNOUNCES TENTATIVE LABOR ACCORD WITH UNIFORMED FIRE OFFICERS ASSOCIATION
Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani and Richard Brower, President of the Uniformed Fire Officers Association (UFOA), today announced that following an all-night bargaining session on Wednesday night into Thursday morning, a tentative settlement was reached with the 2,500 member Uniformed Fire Officers Association. Subject to ratification, the agreement will be retroactive to May 1, 1995 and will expire June 30, 2000. The UFOA represents employees in the Fire Department in the titles of Lieutenant, Captain, Battalion Chief, Deputy Chief, Medical Officer, Chief Medical Officer, Supervising Fire Marshal and Administrative Fire Marshal.
The 62-month contract provides a wage rate increase of three percent on May 1, 1997, a three percent increase on August 1, 1998 and a six percent increase on July 1, 1999. It also provides for Welfare Fund increases, Annuity Fund increases, a $1,000 increase in longevity payments on all steps and includes Fire Officers in the current Fire Department Quartermaster System. There are no wage increases for the first twenty-four months of the contract. The agreement follows the uniformed pattern set by the UFA for this round of bargaining.
The package was funded by monies set aside in the labor reserves and savings realized by a change in the pension fund interest assumption rate.
"I want to congratulate President Brower," said Mayor Giuliani. "Today's agreement represents a great accomplishment in the continuing history of cooperative labor relations between the parties. This agreement also reflects the City's steadfast commitment to fiscal prudence and the union's commitment to ensure fair treatment and compensation for its members."
President Brower said, "I would like to congratulate the Mayor and his Office of Labor Relations, on their hard work which allowed us to move into new areas previously thought unattainable by this Union. The Mayor has made it clear he understands the needs of this City's Uniformed Fire Officers and this agreement reflects months of hard work on both sides to attain a fair and equitable contract. The agreement itself stays within the pattern established in all earlier uniformed and civilian settlements with the unions in this round of bargaining including the UFA, the municipal coalition of unions and the UFT. It reflects the City's ability and desire to adequately compensate its uniformed force workers for the critical and vital services that they perform."
The terms of the agreement (consistent with the pattern established for this round of negotiations with the UFA, the Coalition of Municipal Unions and the UFT) provides for no wage increases for the first 24 month period of the agreement, and:
- a 3 percent rate increase effective May 1, 1997,
- a 3 percent rate increase effective August 1, 1998,
- a 6 percent rate increase effective July 1, 1999,
- an increase of $1000 to the current levels of longevity given after 5, 10, 15 and 20 years August 1, 1998,
- an increases of $10 to the Welfare Fund for active and retired employees effective July 1, 1999 and an additional increase of $75 effective May 1, 2000,
- a daily increase of $1.00 per employee to the Annuity Fund effective September 1, 1997, an additional $1.00 daily increase effective May 1, 2000 and a one-time lump sum payment of $198 effective July 1, 1997,
- inclusion in the Fire Department Quartermaster System with an attendant cleaning allowance of $350 per Fire Officer and $185 per Medical Officer to be increased by $170 effective July 1, 1997 (This replaces the uniform allowance), additional release time for union activity. Several employees who are currently released part-time for union activities will be released full-time. This benefit was paid for by the Union out of the settlement.
The settlement is now subject to the union's ratification process according to James Hanley, Commissioner of the Office of Labor Relations. This settlement was reached through old-fashioned bargaining without having to resort to impasse. The parties were able to address the unique issues of Fire Officers, truly a testament to the collective bargaining process.
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