$650M in bonds for Houston firefighter back pay approved in lopsided council vote
The agreement negotiated by Mayor John Whitmire is a major component of a deal with the Houston Professional Firefighter's Association which will also include five years of pay hikes aimed at raising salaries and benefits to a level comparable to other departments. The Houston City Council has approved the issuance of $650 million in bonds to compensate its firefighters for back pay denied during an eight-year labor contract impasse. The agreement negotiated by Mayor John Whitmire is part of a deal with the Houston Professional Firefighter's Association that includes five years of pay hikes aimed at increasing salaries and benefits to a level comparable to other departments. Despite opposition from Council Member Tiffany Thomas, who demanded a City-wide vote on the bond measure, Whitmire countered that putting the issue to voters in the fall would jeopardize the settlement and expose the City to $1 billion or more in liability. The vote was a 14-3 split, with Council Member Edward Pollard suggesting that the settlement agreement may have been too generous and should be retracted and re-negotiated.
ที่ตีพิมพ์ : 10 เดือนที่แล้ว โดย Greg Groogan ใน Finance
By a 14 to 3 vote, Houston City Council approved the issuance of $650 million in bonds to compensate its firefighters for back pay denied during an eight-year labor contract impasse.
The agreement negotiated by Mayor John Whitmire is a major component of a deal with the Houston Professional Firefighter's Association which will also include five years of pay hikes aimed at raising salaries and benefits to a level comparable to other departments.
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Passage of the bond component did not come without a fight, with Council Member Tiffany Thomas demanding a City-wide vote on the bond measure.
Whitmire said putting the issue to voters in the fall would destroy the settlement and expose the City to $1 billion or more in liability if the case were forced back into court for trial.
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Council Member Edward Pollard suggested the settlement agreement crafted by Whitmire may have been too generous and should be retracted and re-negotiated.
The Mayor countered by insisting the deal saved taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars and would serve to improve public safety by rehabilitating a department ravaged by attrition.
In the lopsided vote to move forward with the bonds, Pollard and Thomas were joined by Council Member Mary Nan Huffman who also voted "no."
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