PLANT CITY, Fla — According to the Plant City Fire Union, a recent study carried out by the city itself found that firefighters in other cities of a similar size make 18 percent more than Plant City firefighters.
And after tense negotiations between the city and the union on the department's upcoming contract—the decision on firefighter pay was turned over to the city commission Monday night.
What the union asked for, among other things, was a 3-year contract with a bump in pay that would put salaries closer to that 18-percent mark.
They also asked that the city relax the requirement that firefighters have to live in or around Plant City because they claim some can't afford to do so.
Ultimately, they were offered a one-year contract with a 6-percent increase in pay and the option for a 4-percent merit-based pay increase on their work anniversary.
The city said this increase falls in line with what they've offered other city employees...
But the fire union's attorney, Robert McKee, isn't buying it.
"I think they're going to be disappointed," he said.
He told ABC Action news that 18 people have left the department over the last five years and he fears that trend will continue.
"There's been an exodus of qualified people because this city has decided that either it can't or it won't pay competitive wages to these highly trained or they're not prepared to pay," he said.
The Plant City mayor said the commission's reasoning is closer to the latter.
"We understand that they want to see more. We want to do more. I would love to just say, 'absolutely, of course, we're just going to give you everything that you want,' but we can't do that," said Mayor Nate Kilton.
Kilton said budget constraints are keeping them from higher increases and he agrees that more work to improve pay needs to be done.
That said, he also hopes that certain "intangibles" will help with retention.
"We have to be competitive. We understand that, but it's also about those culture things as well—you know the community that you want to work in, the people that you want to work in, the climate of the department," he said.
Despite a vote from the city commission Monday night, it's important to note that this isn't a done deal just yet.
The fire union still has to hold a final vote on this agreement, and then the city commission will hold one more vote of its own before the new contract is finalized.
