Houston has finally reached a deal for its firefighters. In a late-night memo on July 17, City Controller Chris Hollins informed city council members that his office has agreed to the terms proposed by Mayor John Whitmire and approved by City Council on June 13. Now, the item will go before the full council for a vote. It is expected to pass.
Hollins, Houston’s independently elected watchdog, had to certify the terms before the council can approve the specific financial commitments needed to take on the debt.The email states, in part:
“Following a comprehensive review and evaluation of the responses to each question my office posed to the Mayor and his team regarding the proposed firefighter settlement and collective bargaining agreement, my office has approved the relevant items for your consideration on the Council Agenda.”
A vote is expected for final approval at next week’s city council meeting.
Hollins’ approval follows weeks of back-and-forth discussions between the mayor and the city controller, who, along with other city council members, had additional questions about the settlement. Mayor Whitmire answered these questions in an emailed document from his office last week, when the vote was initially expected but postponed.
Firefighters in the nation’s fourth-largest city have worked without a contract for seven years. A new settlement and a proposed 5-year labor agreement between the city and their union has promised salary increases of at least 25% over the next five years.
This settlement fulfills one of Mayor Whitmire’s campaign promises to secure better working conditions and fair compensation for Houston Fire Department members. Councilmembers ratified $650 million in public safety bonds to compensate Houston firefighters for eight years of overdue back pay. In a lopsided 14 to 3 vote, Houston city council approved the issuance of the bonds to fund the back pay settlement. Council members Edward Pollard, Tiffany Thomas, and Mary Nan Huffman voted against the settlement due to concerns over its cost and their desire to push it to a public vote in November, a move opposed by Mayor Whitmire.
