City Firefighters Get 1 Percent Raises ; $400,000 Set Aside For Overtime To Boost Manpower

Lancaster city's firefighters have accepted 1 percent raises in exchange for extra overtime in a new, three-year contract, Mayor Rick Gray announced Friday.

The average firefighter's base salary will be about $65,000 next year.

The city will budget an extra $400,000 for fire staffing, an increase already included in its proposed 2015 budget balanced by a 7.5-percent tax hike, Gray said.

Salaries will increase 1 percent each year for 2015, 2016 and 2107.

Extra money for overtime will boost manpower from an average of 11 firefighters per shift to 14.

Firefighters say extra manpower enhances their safety and makes for more effective response.

Budgeting more overtime is less costly than adding firefighters, Gray said. While total staff won't change, hours worked will increase.

The 74-member firefighters union agreed to contribute more toward health insurance. Annual contributions for family coverage will increase by 24.7 percent to $1,803 in 2017. Prescription co-pays also will increase.

In 2008, firefighters contributed about $195 a year toward health insurance.

The union Thursday voted 45 to 10 in ratifying the contract, said Lt. Kevin Ressler, president of Lancaster Firefighters IAFF Local 319.

"We did take a smaller salary than we probably could have gotten so we could increase that staffing," said Ressler, standing with the mayor at Friday's announcement. "That not only helps the firefighters, but that directly helps the citizens. We signed up to help people."

He alluded to civilian fire deaths in 2013.

In separate three-year contracts negotiated last year, the unions for city police and public works employees agreed to 3-percent raises in 2014 and 2.75-percent raises in 2015 and 2016.

"It wasn't all hunky-dory," Gray said of almost weekly bargaining sessions over six months.

The mayor said his team never threatened layoffs to move the union off its initial offer, but said layoffs are "implicit" if the city's finances weaken.

"Although we're in good financial shape right now," Gray said, other cities, including York, Harrisburg and Reading, are "falling like dominoes."

Under the contract, firefighters agreed to work overtime at a straight-time rate. Pay jumps to time and a half only if one works more than 212 hours in a 28-day period.

"We waived some of our overtime rights," Ressler said.

The previous three-year contract went to binding arbitration. A three-member panel in 2012 awarded the firefighters raises of 3 percent for 2012 and 2013 and 3.5 percent for 2014.

The reason arbitration was avoided this time, Gray said, was "effective leadership on both sides of the discussion and a willingness to give even though you don't want to."

"It's a win for the firefighters. It's a win for the administration. In my opinion, most importantly, it's a win for the residents of the city of Lancaster because we will be increasing our staffing."

Mayor Rick Gray, announcing three-year contract with fire union