The statewide union for firefighters is watching closely as contract talks in Tallahassee pass their 18th negotiating session. They say what happens in one city can have repercussions for others – and the firefighters in Tallahassee have declared an impasse.
“I come from local government. I negotiated behind closed doors; I know how negotiations go. Politicians love firefighters come parade day. When it comes contract time, not so much.”
That’s state Representative Joe Casello, a Boynton Beach Democrat. He was a firefighter for 33 years and last year co-sponsored a firefighters’ bill of rights. He says the job has grown more dangerous since he started.
“I think more and more studies that come out and actually explain the dangers of what the job are now – with heart issues, cancer, the short-lived retirements that they have and all the side effects,” he said.
Casello has been watching contract negotiations in Tallahassee, where the local firefighters’ union has declared an impasse in its talks with the city. The two sides have held 18 negotiating sessions without yielding a contract, which Casello says is bad for morale.
“Why would I have to fight for my paycheck, fair and equitable pay for what I do in saving lives…why would I want to join an organization like that?," he asked, "where they kind of take you for granted sometimes?”
Tallahassee Fire Department Deputy Chief Richard Jones agrees that recruitment and retention are challenging. He said in an email that “fire departments across the country are seeing a decline in the number of applicants for vacant positions. [But t]he Tallahassee Fire Department is coming up with creative and innovative ways to ensure we continue to recruit a diverse and talented workforce. We are fully staffed and have 8 new recruits starting with our department in January 2024.”
Mike Bellamy, a 24-year veteran of the Tallahassee Fire Department, is also the district representative to the Florida Professional Firefighters, the statewide union. He’s concerned that in Tallahassee, mandatory overtime is more frequently imposed than he’s ever seen it, meaning firefighters often learn at the end of their shifts that they have to work another one.
“The family already makes the sacrifice of having their loved ones go away, put themselves in harm’s way and do it for long periods of time, and miss multiple days of sending their kids off to school and taking their kids to baseball practice and being there for their first ballet recital…"
That often means they’re looking for jobs with fewer hours and less mandatory overtime. For instance, Bellamy says the city of Gainesville has a 42-hour work week, while Tallahassee firefighters work 53 hours. He also says firefighters are more sophisticated now about weighing their work options, and the internet gives them more information than 24 years ago, when he started.
“Firefighters are looking for a safe place to work," he said. "The work week has a tremendous impact on your health and wellness, and that’s something that 24 years ago we weren’t talking about. And so, they’re looking at places that aren’t working 53-hours-plus a week. In our case, with mandatory overtime, well over 60 and 70 hours some weeks.”
However, Bellamy says, there are higher numbers of firefighters coming out of training. And TFD Deputy Chief Richard Jones writes, “We have a talented and diverse workforce that is highly engaged and shows up each and every day to provide excellent service with passion and commitment. The men and women of the Tallahassee Fire Department serve this community with an allegiance and devotion to the mission of the organization.”
The next step in the snarled negotiations between the city and its firefighters’ union will be to bring in an arbitrator.
