NYC Firefighters to receive 17.5% over four years

From Newsday, December 29

NEW YORK, NY – The city's 8,900 firefighters overwhelmingly approved a new 50-month contract with the city, their union announced Thursday _ although the agreement will expire at the end of July 2006 because they had worked without a deal for more than three years.

The new agreement provides a 17.5 percent pay increase retroactive to 2002, when the last deal expired for the Uniformed Firefighters Association. The deal covers the period from June 1, 2002, through July 31, 2006.

Firefighters would see most of their raise in a lump sum because of the long lapse between contracts. Those who worked for the FDNY for the entire period will receive on average more than $15,000 in back pay, officials said.

The deal, approved by a vote of 6,094-829, also includes a five-year staffing agreement that will boost the number of five-member engine companies from 60 to 64. That portion of the agreement covers the next five years.

The deal includes some concessions by the union. Starting pay for firefighters would drop to $25,100 from about $36,000, although new hires would see their pay climb to $32,700 once they finish basic training.

The maximum base pay for a firefighter would rise to $63,309.