Uniformed Firefighters Association of Greater New York

The City failed to present a reasonable offer to the UFA at today’s PERB mediation session. The UFA declared impasse and announced it is immediately filing for binding arbitration in PERB in order to settle the contract. The announcement was made on the steps of City Hall this afternoon by President Steve Cassidy, with the entire Executive Board, shortly after the City failed to negotiate in good faith with the UFA. The UFA press release outlining today’s events and current circumstances follow:

Firefighters Union Declares Contract
Impasse in PERB Mediation Process
with City of New York

Today the Uniformed Firefighters Association of Greater New York (UFA) represent-ing 8,900 New York City Firefighters declared a contract impasse in the Public Employee Relations Board (PERB) Mediation process with the City, moving the process into binding arbitration between the parties.
“Firefighters are outraged. For twenty-two months we have tried to negotiate in good faith, but the city has refused to act fairly towards New York’s Bravest and has been doing nothing more than foot dragging,” said UFA President Steve Cassidy. “The Bloomberg Administration behind the scenes has also been seeking to break 100 years of pay parity between New York’s firefighters and police, refusing to even offer our members the current PBA wage agreement.”

N.Y.C. Firefighters have been working in good faith without a contract for 40 months (since Many 31, 2002);
Firefighters have not had a wage increase in more than 51 months, (June 1, 2001) three months before the Sept 11, 2001 attacks on our city and nation;
The City has dragged its feet through 22 months of negotiations (since December 2003);
The City has continued to drag on negotiations for 13 months through the state mandated PERB mediation process (Initial contract impasse declared August 2004);

New York City’s firefighters already are among the lowest paid in the New York/New Jersey region, making on average some 32 percent less than firefighters in sur-rounding municipalities. A rookie firefighter in Yonkers earns more than a twenty year vet-eran New York City firefighter.

“Since 9-11 we have added new duties, new training and the associated risks of deal-ing with responding to chemical, biological and other possible types of terrorist attacks. This is all above and beyond what is already known to be the most dangerous first respon-der job in the nation,” added Mr. Cassidy. 1,131 of New York’s Bravest have died protect-ing the citizens of New York. “Few outside of New York City can believe that this mayor has forced New York City’s firefighters to go more than four years without a wage increase and over three years without a contract. Obviously this mayor has no understanding of the financial struggles working class families have to go through.”

“For the past 3 years while the Mayor refused to give New York’s Bravest a contract and a fair wage, they have continued to put their lives on the line. It seems that the blue collar, working class of this city, like our firefighters, cops and teachers are not entitled to a timely contract and a fair wage in the eyes of this administration. Unfortunately current laws entitle the city to drag its feet without penalty while the workers and their families have to suffer.”

“We put out lives on the line every day and this is how the Mayor shows his respect for what we do. Actions speak louder than words and firefighters deserve a real raise that acknowledges the risks we take, the dangers we face daily and the sacrifices we make for New York and its citizens every day,” said Cassidy.”

Fraternally.