By Peter Marcus, DENVER DAILY NEWS
The Denver firefighters’ union membership voted Tuesday to forgo $7 million worth of salary and health benefits to assist the city in closing a $120 million budget shortfall.
The 84-percent majority vote came on the same day Mayor John Hickenlooper presented City Council with an $855.6 million budget partially dependent on contract negotiations with unions representing firefighters, police officers and sheriff’s deputies.
By accepting the contract — which is expected to save the city $3.2 million next year alone — members of Denver Fire Fighters Union Local 858 saved 54 positions that were slated to be cut if the union rejected the offer.
“This personal sacrifice is a painful one to make, but the firefighters feel that the safety of the community and their fellow firefighters must take precedent, especially in this time of economic uncertainty,” said Pat Rhoades, president of Local 858.
Negotiations are ongoing with the police and sheriff’s unions. The Denver Police Protective Association’s membership has already rejected delays in scheduled pay increases, which represents a 4.5 percent pay raise until December. The union risks losing 92 positions if it continues rejecting the city’s offer.
Vince Gavito, president of the Denver Police Protective Association, told the Denver Daily News that the union is yet to see an offer that it likes.
Union officials representing Denver firefighters acknowledged that they were keeping a close eye on police negotiations, admitting that there was some “tension.”
“We definitely considered, ‘Are the police going to leverage a better deal than us out of this?’” said Aaron Jonke, secretary-treasurer of Local 858. “But what the police did is their issue — they have their own relationship with the city.”
Firefighters will forgo $3.2 million in salary next year, and another $3.2 million in 2011. Another $600,000 will be saved through modified health care benefits. The sacrifice equates to about $7,600 per firefighter over the year, said union officials. Starting salary for a Denver firefighter is $42,200.
Firefighters in April agreed to nearly $1.4 million in concessions for this year and agreed to an additional $1.4 million for 2010. Union officials say the latest round of concessions brings the total through 2012 to $8.4 million.
Hickenlooper praised the city’s firefighters for their sacrifice.
“We applaud Denver Firefighters Local 858 for standing by their fellow firefighters and placing service to the community above their own personal interests,” said the mayor in a statement. “Their shared sacrifice at this difficult time for the city reflects the values we know and admire among firefighters.”
But Jonke is asking that city officials start thinking outside the box when it comes to closing budget shortfalls. Firefighters have been asked on three separate occasions in recent years to make financial sacrifices for the city.
“It is time that the city examines its tax and fee structure and develops a strategy that provides for a more stable means of keeping a safe level of firefighters serving their community,” reads a statement from Local 858.
“It is imperative that the city upholds this agreement and recognize the firefighters commitment to our community,” said Jonke. “The brave firefighters in Denver have proven again that we are there when you need us.”
Distributed by Colorado Capitol Reporters
