Story Created:
May 28, 2008 at 9:45 AM CST
Story Updated:
May 28, 2008 at 5:59 PM CST
May 27, 2008
After being met with months of unsuccessful contract negotiations, Corpus Christi Firefighters took their fight to city leaders on Tuesday.
At fire station #14, the ambulance can easily run more than a dozen calls in a 24 hour shift. Work like this work, firefighters believe is worth something, worth a significant pay raise.
During Tuesday's council meeting, they asked that the current contract negotiations not go another 18 or 22 months like the previous 2 contracts, instead that this one gets resolved quickly.
Sitting in the gallery, they made their presence known with out saying a word. Wearing red shirts, fire fighters and their supporters showed solidarity as union leaders prepare to push for a new labor agreement for firefighters.
Corpus Christi Firefighters' Association President, Carlos Torres, spoke at the podium saying Corpus Christi is the 7Th largest city, yet city firefighters are paid at the 23rd or 24Th level for the state of Texas. He called it ridiculous.
"This old style of negotiating has to be done away with," said Torres. "I'm talking about when Cynthia Garcia sits at the table and she says 'you know I'll give you 2.5 percent ,3 percent and what are you going to give us in return?'"
He said that's not bargaining, "That's bargaining in bad faith mayor. We need to get a contract and we need to get it quickly, and we shouldn't have to give up anything to get that contract."
According to Torres, on March 14Th an impasse was declared in the negotiation process. In late April the mediation was said to be unsuccessful. Now Torres says it seems to have come to fact finding.
"That just really doesn't work out for any benefit, because you just about come out with the same terms at the end of it all," said the president of the local electrician union, Craig Loving. He wore a red shirt, and attended Tuesday's council meeting to show his support for local firefighters.
Firefighters are looking for a 3 year contract, and would like to get an 8 percent raise then five the next year, five the year after. They say they've forgone pay raises before in order to accommodate the city's budget constraints.
"Now it's time to we have to get back some what we've lost," said Firefighter Steve Deleon
Union officials, say before Tuesday's meeting they did receive a letter from City Manager Skip Noe. In the letter Noe indicated he wanted to get back to the table and start the negotiating again. Under the new city budget, it's proposed police and firefighters get a 4 percent raise, and no cost of living increase for civilian employees
