AUSTIN -- Austin firefighters will go another year without a contract after 93 percent of the Austin Firefighters Association voted against the city's latest collective bargaining agreement.
The department hasn't had a pay raise in three years, and although that affects the firefighters and their families, they say it's worth it to uphold a standard they are not willing to sacrifice.
At a press conference at the Austin Firefighters Association on Friday, President Bob Nicks said they were not happy with the collective bargaining agreement the city presented to them about three months ago.
Nicks said that in the offer, the city really tried to leverage the firefighters, especially when it came to hiring and training standards. They were dropped from the contract entirely, which Nicks said put all the men and women who do already dangerous jobs at further risk.
"Our firefighters were strong enough to hold up our principle, but we need help," Nicks said. "We can't do it forever. If your boss doesn't care, if the council doesn't care, pretty soon the firefighters will stop caring, and when that happens, the magic stops happening. The best thing you can have in an organization is people who will do more and care about their professionalism."
Nicks said the standards have been in the contract for more than a decade.
He said the current city council is "gaming the standards" to see if they can get the numbers they want when it comes to minority recruitment.
The union hopes that with the city's conversion to the 10-1 city council, things will change, and both sides will come to an agreement.
Nicks said the union will renegotiate in the spring.
