SF firefighters to give up at least 8% in wage increases

San Francisco Firefighters Pass on Raise to Help Budget

The San Francisco Chronicle
Authors: JOHN COTE and RACHEL GORDON

San Francisco police and firefighter union officials reached tentative deals Tuesday to forgo pay raises as Mayor Gavin Newsom seeks concessions from all city workers to help bridge a historic budget deficit, officials said.

The firefighters' agreement calls for union members to give up at least 8 percent in planned wage increases over the next two years, which will save more than $18.5 million in base wage and overtime costs over that period, said Martin Gran, head contract negotiator with the Department of Human Resources.

"It was obviously time for every city worker to step up," said Tom O'Connor, president of the firefighters' union. "These are dire economic times, and the firefighters have always done their part."

In 2007, when Newsom was running for a second term as mayor, he negotiated a 23 percent pay increase for police and firefighters spread over four years.

Details of the tentative deal with the Police Officers Association were not immediately available, but officials said it was similar to the firefighters' pact. The police agreement is projected to save the city roughly $27.6 million over two years, a source familiar with it said.

No police, fire layoffs

Both agreements must still be ratified by union members. No firefighters or police officers are planned to be laid off, Newsom spokesman Tony Winnicker said.

"Ensuring public safety is one of the most essential functions of local government," Winnicker said. "Our police and firefighters are stepping up to save jobs and front-line services."

Supervisor John Avalos, chairman of the Board of Supervisors' budget committee, commended the union leadership while warning the grim budget outlook would be even bleaker without the labor givebacks.

''It's great to hear that they are joining with other city employees to make concessions," he said. "There are a lot of critical services that are on the chopping block."

He urged Muni drivers to do their share, too.

If rank-and-file police and firefighters endorse the deals, that will leave the Transport Workers Union Local 250-A, which represents Muni operators, as the only labor group that hasn't reached a deal on concessions as San Francisco seeks to close a $483 million budget gap for fiscal year 2010-11.

"That puts more pressure on TWU," said Newsom, who must submit his budget to the Board of Supervisors next week.

Approval likely

Board of Supervisors President David Chiu said he appreciates the contribution from police and firefighters, should the plan be approved.

However, Chiu said, he will await the mayor's overall budget proposal due out Tuesday before determining whether the tentative deal goes far enough.

"We need to make sure that the budget is balanced fairly across all departments and all unions," Chiu said.

The police and fire concessions - with pay cuts roughly amounting to 4 percent or more a year - are similar to givebacks already agreed to by more than two dozen city unions, the mayor's office said.

Those unions agreed to take 12 unpaid days off a year for two years, amounting to a 4.62 percent pay cut and would allow the mayor to cut up to 500 city employees from a workforce of about 26,000 full-time employees by June 30.

Managers to be cut

The city also is requiring 10 percent cuts in managers' salaries and pay cuts within the mayor's staff at least commensurate with what unionized city workers are facing, officials said. Newsom has called on all department heads to also take a 10 percent pay cut and has taken a 15 percent pay cut himself, as has his chief of staff, Steve Kawa, Winnicker said.

Muni operators, whose wages are protected by the city charter, are set to receive a nearly $9 million raise July 1. The union leadership agreed to givebacks in February, but the plan was rejected by its membership.

"TWU has demonstrated a remarkable commitment to themselves, not their riders," Newsom said. Talks with the union are continuing.

Copyright 2010 San Francisco Chronicle