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Originally Posted by Papa_lecki
Saw in local online news site - the county austerity measures. In a time where the cost of food is up 19%, we are not giving our firefighters a raise, we are reducing training and reducing staffing on trucks?
And before anyone complains that a 8.7 COLA increase is too much, what was last year’s social security COLA increase? 8.7%, I think.
I don’t recall anything handled as poorly as this AMR ambulance transition.
“To save jobs, Hanson said firefighters have agreed to forego an 8.7 percent cost-of-living increase for county employees as well as some training stipends.
The fire chief also said he will reduce staffing to two or three firefighters per vehicle, down from three or four.”
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To put things in perspective, I have seen articles that refute the severity of the above as follows.
"All these adjustments have been made to save the jobs," Hanson said.
The fire chief said they will not make staff cuts, but they will have to cut current job openings and future growth, as well as reduce operations including in rural areas and The Villages.
"Some of those services may take a little bit more time to get too, or maybe less people go to those types of calls," Hanson said.
I have not seen the agreement that Firefighters have given up a raise of 8.7%. However, I can confirm that their two-year agreement with the county does have an article 45.1 which states that there would be a COLA based upon 2023 Indices.
Reference to the 8.7% Social Security raise that most of us got for CY 2023 is correct, but do not plan on that for 2024. Rate not established yet, but some estimates say 3.2% and that is only against a much smaller base equaling ~ $750/year.
Think of all the retired folks living on a pension and SS. Some have not seen any increase in 20 years.
Labor contracts are something that every party has interests in. In this case, taxpayers, County Commissioners and Firefighters. Sometimes everyone must be apart of the solution. Note the attached agreement. Firefighters are not limited to COLA. There are promotions and incentives also available.
https://www.sumtercountyfl.gov/Agend...8?fileID=51421