Sacramento city firefighters approved a deal Friday to freeze their salaries for 30 months, ensuring none of their colleagues will be laid off for at least a year.
If the agreement on salary concessions had been shot down, as many as 68 firefighters would have been out of work beginning today.
Under the agreement, firefighters agreed to delay a 5 percent raise scheduled to take effect July 14 until January 2012. By doing so, they will save the city $10.8 million.
"Though it's been an arduous and sometimes frustrating negotiating process, we're all glad to be able to move forward and focus on keeping our neighborhoods safe," firefighter David Dolson said.
This was the fourth proposal on firefighter salary freezes discussed by the city and fire union. The first one was defeated in a union vote, while the last two were rejected by the City Council.
"We're all better off when firefighters are working to protect our community and our neighborhood firehouses are open," Councilwoman Lauren Hammond said. "Now we can move forward and celebrate the Fourth of July knowing that we've done the right thing for the city of Sacramento."
Hammond, Dolson and Mayor Kevin Johnson ended a news conference Friday about the agreement without fielding any questions.
The announcement of the firefighter agreement was tempered by the fact that an estimated 180 city workers in other departments lost their jobs Thursday. The cuts were part of the city's effort to fill a $50 million deficit for the 2009-10 fiscal year.
Those layoffs, most of which hit the parks and utilities departments, were the result of failed negotiations between the city and Local 39, the city's largest labor union.
City negotiators had asked that union to forgo a 4 percent raise, agree to furloughs and suspend raises associated with tenure. The union members said they would be open to furloughs and suspending the tenure step increases, but not to delaying the raise.
The impact of those cuts will be felt immediately. Restrooms in nearly every city park will be closed starting Monday, day camps shuttered and maintenance of park lawns will be cut back.
Street sweeping and illegal dumping enforcement will also be reduced.
In addition, garbage collection and green waste pickup schedules will change for thousands of residents beginning July 20. According to the city, customers will be notified in mail by the Solid Waste Division and information will be online.
Call The Bee's Ryan Lillis, (916) 321-1085.
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