Charleston firefighters took to the streets in front of City Hall to demand higher pay.
According to Charleston Firefighters Local 61, the starting pay for a firefighter in the City of Charleston is currently less than $39,000 per year.
The firefighters told WCSC 5 News that they are asking Charleston City Council to increase their pay, stating they have to work longer hours to make ends meet.
“Especially with the pay, you start off in the academy around that $17.30 mark with a high school diploma,” Charleston Firefighters Local 61 member John Baker said. “As soon as you get to the line, it drops. What also happens is your hours increase. With the recent pay studies that have been done in Charleston, it takes a whole lot of money, and we’re not seeing that within the fire department.”
The union said it had done a three-month study that compared pay in cities like Atlanta and Savannah and it found that Charleston ranked in the lower half, even lower third, than those cities.
Conversely, a report from the Charleston Human Resources Committee found that the Charleston Fire Department had the highest pay in the region.
WCSC reported that the Committee report found that the Charleston Fire Department ranked in the 41st percentile for starting workers with a high school diploma and in the 29th percentile for workers with a bachelor’s degree.
The demonstration comes just days after the community paid tribute to the Charleston 9, who died battling the Sofa Super Store fire 15 years ago.
Firehouse.com News
Content curated and written by Firehouse editorial staff, including Susan Nicol, Peter Matthews, Ryan Baker and Rich Dzierwa.
