Deal Appears Near in Houston Fire Contract Dispute

March 03--Mayor Annise Parker's office announced late Sunday that a deal may be imminent with Houston's firefighters union, which has bristled at Fire Chief Terry Garrison's plan to pull fire trucks from service as part of an effort to balance the fire department's budget.

The mayor will appear Monday morning with Bryan Sky-Eagle, president of Houston Professional Fire Fighters Association Local 341, to discuss an agreement, according to the release.

It was not clear late Sunday whether any compact had been finalized. Members of the Parker administration and the fire union did not return calls.

'Rolling Brownouts'

Earlier in the week, however, City Attorney David Feldman had said his team was negotiating with the union in an effort to prevent the so-called "rolling brownouts" from taking effect. The negotiations had begun as part of talks over a raise for firefighters in the current fiscal year, which were triggered under the union's current contract when the economic recovery fed more revenue into city coffers. Feldman and Sky-Eagle have repeatedly said in recent days that talks were progressing well.

"That is entirely what we're focusing on right now," Feldman said last week. "There is hope an interim agreement can be reached to prevent the chief's plan. I'm cautiously optimistic."

HFD is on pace to exceed its $447 million budget by $10.5 million in the fiscal year that ends June 30. Most of that, $8.5 million, is because of overtime paid to firefighters during a staffing shortage exacerbated by a union contract that leaves Garrison unable to effectively restrict when firefighters take time off.

Possible Outcome

Sources with knowledge of the negotiations said last week that one possible outcome would be for the firefighters to get a raise, and, in exchange, the chief would receive greater ability to limit when firefighters schedule vacation and holiday time.

Feldman said last week that any agreement would need to be ratified by City Council and the fire union, and that negotiations would continue on a permanent contract afterward.

The brownout plan, which Garrison detailed to City Council on Feb. 20, is driven by a desire to reduce the number of shifts filled with firefighters on overtime each day.

HFD averaged 90 overtime shifts per day during the second half of last year, and averaged 47 overtime shifts per day in the early weeks of this year. To stay within budget over the remaining four months of the fiscal year, Garrison said, HFD must not average more than 23 overtime shifts per day.

On days the department exceeds that number, firetrucks will be idled and supervisory shifts will not be filled, the chief said.

The fire union sued the city last week trying to block the rolling brownouts, but a judge denied the request.

So far, the brownouts have not been implemented, though seven ambulances were pulled from rotation Feb. 21, and staffing levels had allowed them to be added back into service only one day last week.

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