The city's firefighters union finally endorsed Measure M, the paramedics tax, last week after receiving assurances from the City Council that part of the money would be used to restore one of the fire department's two aerial ladder trucks, which is scheduled deactivation next July.
"Once the council decided where the funds were going, that's when we decided to support the measure and campaign for its passage," said Lt. Gil Dong, first vice president of Fire Fighters Local 1227.
Dong said the prospect of losing the truck -- the only apparatus with ladders that go higher than three stories -- was the deciding factor in their decision.
"Look at all those new buildings going up. They're all higher than three stories. We have to be able to get to these people in an emergency."
But even if Measure M passes, it still won't prevent the truck from being reduced to half-day service starting Nov. 8. That's a separate issue being negotiated between the union and City Manager Phil Kamlarz.
Kamlarz is asking the firefighters for a 3 percent salary giveback, which would bring them in line with the city's other unions. The firefighters are asking for a one-year extension on their present contract, which also would line them up with the other unions.
If Kamlarz gets what he wants, the city will save $300,000. If the fire fighters get what they want, they can put off contract negotiations until more prosperous times, when presumably they can get a better deal. Still unsettled is whether they will get the same 5.5 percent cost of living increase that the other unions are expected to get during that one-year period.
Former Mayor Shirley Dean, representing the citizens group BudgetWatch, which has been critical of Measure M, said the firefighters got a bad bargain.
"This is essentially the same deal that was in the tax measure they refused to endorse last year, except last time it was written into the language of the statute," she said. "This time, it's only a promise. And promises can be revoked."
But she said the fault lies with the council, not the firefighters.
"They should never have made across-the-board cuts. They should have identified essential services, such as the fire department, funded them fully, and made the cuts elsewhere."
Councilwoman Miriam Hawley disagreed.
"We're not asking them to take a cut at all," she said. "We're asking them to take a smaller pay raise, the same as every other department. In the interest of fairness, each department has to give up an equivalent amount."
