Firefighters union, city continue negotiations

Proposals discussed so far include pay raises, staffing issues

Contract negotiations between Texarkana, Texas, and the city’s firefighters’ union will continue with a two-day session beginning this afternoon.

Meetings are scheduled to begin at 1:30 p.m. today and 8:30 a.m. Friday in the second-floor conference room at City Hall, 220 Texas Blvd. They are open to the public.

In three previous sessions, both sides have made initial proposals with minimal discussion. According to agreed-upon ground rules, no new issues may be raised during the remainder of the process.

The union has proposed pay increases for every position in Texarkana, Texas, Fire Department, ranging from raising its lowest salary from $38,643 to $47,717 to raising its highest from $65,161 to $87,144.

The requested salary increases are based on a survey of 15 fire departments in Texas cities close in population to Texarkana. TTFD salaries were about 23 percent to about 34

percent below the average salaries at those 15 departments, depending on rank, according to the survey.

The union’s second stated priority is increasing the minimum number of firefighters on duty at any given time from 19 to 21. Along the same lines, the union proposes that its Engines 7 and 9 always be staffed with four firefighters, as opposed to the current minimum of three.

TTPD’s automatic assistance to fire departments in Texarkana, Ark., and Nash, Pleasant Grove, LibertyEylau and Wake Village in Texas have further strained a department that was already stretched thin, and additional staffing is needed to meet standard safety and effectiveness guidelines, the union argues.

The city has proposed various policies regarding management rights, non-discrimination, promotions, discipline and hours, among other topics.

Deputy City Manager Kyle Dooley, Human Resources Executive Director Jim Powell and attorney Bettye Lynn represented the city in previous negotiation sessions. At the table for the union were firefighters Paul Lauk, Eric McCasland, Scott Daniel and Scott Robertson, who serves as local union president, as well as Joe Tellez, a district field services representative with the union, International Association of Fire Fighters.

Another pair of open meetings is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. Aug. 16 and 8:30 a.m. Aug. 17.

Both sides have agreed not to communicate with the press except through joint written statements. No such statement yet has been issued.