Firefighters continue campaign for equal pay

The Story
February 17, 2005
Jim Daws

Editor’s Notes

Due to the anticipated vote next week by the Atlanta City Council on the 2005 budget for the City of Atlanta, editor John Schaffner is forfeiting his normal column space this week for a piece from the vice president of the firefighters union related to the issue of pay equity for the city’s firefighters.

     You may have noticed Atlanta firefighters in the intersections of your intown neighborhoods, passing out flyers asking you to contact your elected officials to express your support for equal pay for firefighters with police. Many of you have responded to that appeal, and on behalf of the firefighters, I’d like to say thank you. The public’s support means everything to us and we’re grateful for it.

     For those of you who have not called your elected officials on our behalf, I’d like to explain why this issue is one that is deserving of your active support.

     Although police and firefighters perform different tasks, together they’re responsible for assuring the public safety. The two agencies work hand-in-hand in the streets and the functions of each is indispensable to the overall mission. The jobs subject both groups to extreme physical hazards and severe psychological stresses. Both services swear a loyalty oath and are required to put the safety and protection of Atlanta’s citizens before their own.

     Historically, Atlanta, like other major cities, has paid police and fire officers the same annual salary. In recognition that they have more inactive time between alarms, firefighters typically work more hours for that equal annual salary. In Atlanta, firefighters work 16 more hours each week than their police counterparts.

     In response to public demands to lower crime, Bill Campbell, in his last year in office, broke Atlanta’s traditional policy of parity by paying police more and giving them a much better pension than the firefighters. Whether this policy improved police services is debatable, but what is certain is its devastating impact on the firefighters’ morale and the fire department’s ability to recruit and retain the best-qualified applicants.

     Atlanta firefighters already make much less than their peers in the suburban departments; now they feel like they’ve been consigned to second-class status here in the city they risk so much to protect. If there were a case to be made for higher pay, it would be for big-city firefighters, who work longer hours, require more training and are much more likely to be killed or injured on the job than their police counterparts.

     But, the truth is police and fire officers should be paid equally. It’s immoral to ask these officers to take the risks they do in the service of the city and then make an economic calculation as to their relative worth. The bottom line is it would take about 10 percent of the 2004 surplus to restore pay parity for the firefighters.

     Parity was a wise policy. It was simple, fair, time-tested and it kept the peace in public safety. Compared to similar cities, Atlanta’s police and firefighters are both dramatically underpaid. All the firefighters are asking is to be underpaid equally.

     Atlanta has always been a great city because it has been a good city, but treating firefighters inferior to their police counterparts is not a policy worthy of Atlanta. The firefighters depend on the goodwill of Atlanta’s citizens to demand that we be treated fairly. Please tell your elected officials that you support equal pay for your firefighters. On February 21, the City Council will be voting on the final budget and at noon, the firefighters will be rallying on the steps of City Hall. You’re invited to attend and we would love to see you there!

James Daws is vice president of the Atlanta Professional Firefighters union, IAFF L-134

Original Link: (click here)