HOUSTON – Mayor Sylvester Turner joined Houston Fire Chief Sam Pena to announce the proposed pay raise for Houston firefighters.
Turner said because of the $670 million American Rescue Plan from President Joe Biden’s administration, the city will be able to use those funds to help raise firefighters’ pay.
He said under the new pay, Houston firefighters will receive an 18% increase in pay over the next three fiscal years, which will be based on qualifications. Turner said the first pay increase of 6% will begin in July, another 6% in 2023 and 6% in 2024.
In all, the city of Houston will use $115.3 million of the American Rescue plan to help with the pay increase. Turner said firefighters making $17 an hour will see an increase to $21.35 an hour.
The mayor thanked the Biden administration for putting firefighters in better standing with the city of Houston.
Pena also thanked Mayor Turner and Houston City Council for bringing firefighters’ pay wages up in the market rate.
“This is fair, just and affordable. This pay increase announced today is going to ensure that the firefighters’ salary comes within market range for their jobs,” Pena said.
@HoustonFire to receive an avg 18% pay increase over 3 fiscal yrs
— Chief Samuel Peña (@FireChiefofHFD) May 19, 2021
1st-year firefighter salary raised from $43,528 to over $51,800/yr
Thank You @houmayor @SylvesterTurner & @HoustonTX City Council for prioritizing FF raises https://t.co/4aoXiwaFJs
Marty Lancton, president of the Houston Professional Fire Fighters Association, thanked Mayor Turner for giving firefighters a bonus through the federal stimulus. He said firefighters still want a collective bargaining contract instead of the bonus.
“The city is on the hook and the liability for hundreds of millions of dollars and for somebody to come in and to graze over that is like not paying your mortgage for five years and saying well, you know what, I’ll just start paying what I believe I should be paying moving forward. I’m not going to settle what I owe you for not paying my mortgage,” Lancton said.
Mayor Turner said the argument all along has been that firefighters in Houston have been making below the market rate. He said what he’s done today addresses that.
“The numbers speak for themselves. So what would they be suing for? How much more do they want to get beyond Ft. Worth, San Antonio Austin and Dallas,” Turner said.