Firefighters, police unions OK cut in pay of 3.2%

Move would save jobs, $16 mil

by Michael Ferraresi - Feb. 11, 2010 12:00 AM The Arizona Republic .

The union representing most Phoenix firefighters agreed tentatively Wednesday to a 3.2 percent salary cut, and the city's primary police union said it supported the same deal, to save a combined $16 million annually over two years to spare public-safety jobs.

City leaders announced the concessions one day after they estimated that a food tax that goes into effect in April would save as many as 180 sworn public-safety jobs slated to be cut through the city's $140 million proposed budget cuts through fiscal year 2011. If approved, the union concessions would save an additional 110 police and fire jobs.

City Manager David Cavazos said any agreements would still have to be ratified by union members but added that if the 3.2 percent wage reduction were adopted by all seven employee-bargaining units, it could save the city a combined $32 million a year.

"That is a huge number because if everybody in the city does that, we're going to have a very significant savings over what we currently have," he said. "And we are working very hard with all the other employee groups and the general consensus is that we have a very good feeling everyone will step up."

Mark Spencer, president of the Phoenix Law Enforcement Association - which represents 2,571 of the city's roughly 3,400 sworn officers - said his board agreed in principle with the salary reductions. A final deal has not yet been worked out with PLEA.

The United Phoenix Firefighters Association signed its agreement Wednesday after working for weeks on how to save money with furlough days over the next two years to save most of the six engines and 144 jobs originally slated to be cut.

Fire union President Pete Gorraiz said he expected members to ratify the salary cuts.

"They've already expressed to me their willingness and desire to make concessions to save engines," Gorraiz said.

Spencer and union board members rallied Wednesday with union leaders and neighborhood activists from Citizens For Phoenix to support the city's 2 percent food tax. He said PLEA's agreement marked a step toward refining contract negotiations to make the concessions to prevent officers from being laid off.

"It's easy to say you agree with (citizens') philosophies, but it's another thing to see it applied," Spencer said. "We don't know what that will look like until we get a little bit further into negotiations."

PLEA agreed to the concessions as it coped with losing more than 130 of its members last month, which union leaders characterized as typical as members shift to the ebb and flow of members trying to penny-pinch in a stagnant economy.

As more officers joined the Fraternal Order of Police, the union's rival said it was poised to challenge PLEA for the rights to negotiate the city's police contract in future years.

Since 1975, PLEA has served as the official bargaining unit for police. The union negotiated a 7.1 percent salary hike two years ago, allowing officers to start at more than $50,000 for the first time.

Spencer said his rival's claims about challenging his union for the rights to negotiate the city's police contract had come up in the past but never materialized.

"This is nothing new," said Spencer, who was re-elected last summer as PLEA president after he and the current board ran unopposed.

But others said the 130 members who left in January marked a lack of confidence in Spencer and the union's leadership.

Lou Manganiello, president of the Phoenix lodge for the Fraternal Order of Police, said his organization signed 85 members last month - mostly disgruntled PLEA members who fled to the rival union after PLEA's biannual drop period. He and other unions like the Phoenix Sergeants and Lieutenants Association believe it reflects younger officers' frustration with union politics or who simply want to pay less for legal representation.

"In the past couple of years, we've gone away from this being the bingo hall," said Manganiello, who became a Phoenix police officer 13 years ago.

Manganiello said his group would consider pushing a vote of police officers to determine whether the majority of the city's officers would prefer FOP to negotiate their contracts.

"If that does happen, we will be totally ready and prepared," he said. "We don't have enough people in place (right now) to have this done properly for the members."

PLEA members generally pay about $65 a month for legal services.

The FOP offers a similar job-insurance service at $35 a month.

"FOP 4 Life".....Be sure to check out the Arizona State FOP Web Page at: