Fighting for an increase

Pay raises come to Tamarac firefighters

After many years of not getting a pay raise, Tamarac firefighters will finally have something to cheer about.

A new three-year contract agreed to between the city and firefighters calls for an across-theboard annual pay increase of 2.25 percent for three contract years. The two parties have also agreed to amend the city’s pension ordinance. The city commission will consider the changes at an upcoming meeting .

“We had not made any changes to the pay plan since the city’s finances and the economy went downhill six years ago,” Human Resources Director Maria Swanson said. “We have across-theboard increases for the first time in seven years.”

Also under the new contract, changes will be made in the way overtime is calculated. In a departure from the usual practice of calculating overtime based on a 40-hour work week, the city will now do it based on a 21-day work period.

“Overtime pay was a significant issue for the city,” Swanson said. “We told them right off the bat that it was critical for us. They didn’t like it, but in the end, they agreed to it.”

Among the changes in the pension plan is allowing firefighters to take advantage of the Deferred Retirement Option Program. Employees over 55 with 18 years of service would become eligible for DROP after Jan. 1.

If a firefighter – who has at least one year of continuous service – contracts cancer, AIDS, or hepatitis, it will be treated as work-related and compensated as such. Tamarac was one of the first cities to offer such a clause.