Houston firefighters, working without contract for 7 years, reach deal, city announces

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- The City of Houston says it took eight years of start-stop negotiations, but firefighters are getting a new contract.

On Thursday evening, the city announced a tentative agreement with the Houston Professional Fire Fighters Association to resolve all outstanding pay issues for the city's firefighters dating back to 2017.

While the city and fire union didn't immediately disclose terms, the city said the agreement on the amount owed to firefighters for the eight years they have worked without a contract "clears the path for the implementation of essential steps to actualize the mechanics of the deal."

The city added a follow-up announcement that will explain additional terms.

A previous ABC13 report stated firefighters would be entitled to millions in raises and backpay.

A victory for Whitmire and the fire union

The announcement marked a significant accomplishment within the first seven weeks of Mayor John Whitmire's administration.

Soon after taking office in January, Whitmire pledged to return to the negotiating table and make the deal that the city's fire crews were waiting nearly a decade for.

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"During my campaign, I committed to Houstonians that I would resolve this issue beginning on my first day in office," Whitmire said. "I am pleased that we have reached this tentative agreement within the first two months. I will ask City Council members and all Houstonians to support this arrangement once final details are settled with our partners at the Houston Professional Fire Fighters Association."

Whitmire also noted that each side made significant compromises to reach this agreement, thanking city and union negotiators for their efforts over the last two months.

The union's feeling was undoubtedly joy and relief, with HPFFA President Patrick M. "Marty" Lancton calling it historic.

"Mayor Whitmire promised we would get this done by the end of February, and he has kept that promise ... It is amazing to witness what happens when leadership is unafraid to do the right thing," Lancton said, taking a jab at the union's dealings with former Mayor Sylvester Turner. "There are no words to express what it means to be able to put the last eight years behind us."

FROM 2021: Proposed Houston firefighter pay raises to cost $115.3M for next 3 years, Mayor Turner says

How they got here, in brief

If you've lived in Houston for a while, you've probably heard about Prop B and its controversy.

There have been lawsuits back and forth for years, but Whitmire vowed that's over, even dropping the city's pending legal action. At his inauguration party in January, he honored first responders.

That was a big deal, considering the department was without a contract for the last seven years - despite both sides filing lawsuits at the taxpayers' expense.

Back in 2018, voters approved Proposition B, which gave Houston firefighters a raise by parity pay with their police counterparts. The prop was never enacted, with the legal fight turning bitter between both sides.

In 2021, the city approved an 18% increase in firefighter pay over three years using federal COVID-19 dollars. But the union wanted more, calling it a temporary bonus, not a permanent raise.

Former Mayor Sylvester Turner said the pay hike was what the city could afford at the time.

The Texas Supreme Court eventually heard arguments from the city and union in 2022, later striking down Prop B.

But since Whitmire ascended to office, firefighters had renewed hope of a deal - one that arrived at the end of the second month of the year.