The city of Denver has reached an agreement with Denver Fire designed to help balance Denver’s 2009 budget. Mayor John Hickenlooper, along with Denver Fire Chief Nick Nuanes and International Association of Fire Fighters Local 858 President Patrick Rhoades yesterday announced the terms of the agreement.
The deal, which the union agreed to alter a collective bargaining agreement that became effective Jan. 1 and runs through Dec. 31, 2011, will create a savings of $2.9 million.
“We are delighted, obviously,” said Hickenlooper. “That says a lot that they were willing to step up to the plate and be a part of the team.”
Hickenlooper’s plan, enacted in November 2008, seeks to close an anticipated $56 million gap in the city’s 2009 budget. The city has been negotiating with its public safety departments to find $4.9 million (or 2 percent) in personnel savings from the police, fire and sheriff departments.
The Denver police union has reached an agreement with the city to do just that but the sheriff’s department rejected the 2-percent cut. Hickenlooper fired 11 sheriff’s deputies on March 11 and required other sheriff’s employees to take three furlough days this year.
As part of the agreement with the firefighters, the city will not make its planned contribution of 1 percent per year of base pay on behalf of each firefighter to either the Fire and Police Pension Association Statewide Health Care Defined Benefit Plan or the Post Employment Health Plan for the period of April 1 through March 31, 2010.
In addition, firefighters will not receive a $500 cleaning and maintenance allowance per individual in 2009, forgo a paid holiday for their birthday in 2009 and accepted that the agreement may be repeated in 2010 at the mayor’s request.
In exchange for the concessions, the city has agreed to add 52 hours of sick leave to every firefighter’s bank of accumulated sick leave by Oct. 30, 2011. If the city asks for the optional concessions in 2010, it will add an additional 52 hours of sick leave to each firefighter’s bank of sick leave by Oct. 20, 2011.
“Denver’s firefighters have always felt that we are more than just employees of the city. We feel we are part of our community. And as part of that community we know it is sometimes not only prudent, but necessary that we act for the community as a whole,” said Rhoades. “This decision by Denver’s firefighters comes at great personal sacrifice. But we feel that it is absolutely critical to have fire apparatus on the streets and keep our brave firefighters where they belong, in fire houses helping those in need.”
