Firefighters Picket in Contract Dispute

City firefighters took to Commonwealth Avenue on Monday with placards in hand to draw public attention to cutbacks that they say have caused working conditions to decline.

“The stations are in disrepair,” said Jim Stucker, president of the Fullerton Firefighters’ Assn. “The fire engines are old. . . . We are among the lowest-paid firefighters in the county.”

Stucker said the association’s contract negotiations with city officials are at a standstill.

Union members want a one-year contract that would require replacement of aging fire engines, some of which are 16 years old; and would give them a 5% pay raise plus a monetary incentive for completing college degrees, as is provided for city police officers.

The city offered the firefighters a 2% pay increase for each year of a two-year contract. An agreement could not be reached, and an impasse was declared last month. A state mediator called in to resolve the dispute failed to do so.

City Council members and firefighters’ representatives, however, say they are still hopeful that an agreement can be reached and are meeting in a closed session today to continue their talks.

Fire Capt. Steven Brouwer said the purpose of the march was to raise awareness of the firefighters’ situation and to inform residents about “drastic” cuts in fire services over the years.