Council Expected to OK Contract for Firefighters
- Share via
After 17 months of negotiations, Downey is expected to approve a new contract for its firefighters.
A tentative agreement with a 4% raise retroactive to July 1, 1996, and 2% increases in the subsequent two years is expected to be approved by the City Council next Tuesday, Assistant City Manager Lee Powell said.
“The city saw a benefit to having a three-year contract and therefore was willing to grant the higher increase in the first year,” Powell said.
The firefighters, who have been working without a contract for 15 months, have expressed interest in merging with the Los Angeles County Fire Department, which pays higher salaries. But because Downey’s charter calls for a city fire department, a public vote would be required for such a change.
Under the new contract, their salaries remain lower than county firefighters’.
Sign up for Essential California
The most important California stories and recommendations in your inbox every morning.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
