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New Orleans Firefighters Walk Out Of Pay Talks After City Offers Half Rate And Threatens Wage Clawback
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New Orleans Firefighters Walk Out Of Pay Talks After City Offers Half Rate And Threatens Wage Clawback
A growing dispute between New Orleans firefighters and city leaders has moved into court after negotiations over additional pay for higher-level assignments collapsed Monday.
The New Orleans Fire Fighters Association says the city stopped providing additional compensation this summer to firefighters ordered to perform duties outside their official classifications. Those assignments include serving as apparatus operators or captains, positions that carry additional responsibilities involving personnel and equipment that can cost approximately $2 million.
Union President Aaron Mischler said city officials offered to resume the additional compensation at half the previous rate—but only if the union dropped a lawsuit filed earlier this month. The union rejected the offer. Mischler said several union board members walked out of Monday’s settlement meeting after city attorneys also threatened to sue firefighters to recover out-of-class wages that had already been paid.
City Attorney Charline Gipson accused union leaders of violating an agreement to keep the settlement negotiations confidential. Mischler said he never agreed to such a restriction.
The dispute centers on the difference between being capable of performing a task and being formally trained and qualified for a particular classification. Firefighters must complete specialized training to qualify as apparatus operators responsible for driving and operating fire engines, pumps and ladder trucks. The union says the department has not offered enough of those classes in recent years, causing the number of qualified operators to decline.
In the past, firefighters reportedly volunteered to fill those positions temporarily in exchange for additional out-of-class compensation. After the city stopped paying the additional amount, some firefighters became unwilling to assume the increased responsibility voluntarily. The staffing shortage forced Engine 12, Rescue 2 and Ladder 9 out of service for approximately half a day in early August. City officials later authorized overtime to bring qualified personnel to work and return all three companies to service.
The union subsequently filed a lawsuit in Orleans Parish Civil District Court against Fire Superintendent Roman Nelson. The lawsuit alleges that Nelson ordered firefighters to perform work outside their classifications without additional compensation and threatened disciplinary action if they refused. Union leaders instructed firefighters to comply with those orders under protest and document each occasion when they were required to work outside their classifications.
In a July 31 email, Nelson told firefighters that civil-service rules may prevent additional compensation under certain circumstances when employees are assigned higher-level duties. He also pointed to New Orleans’ budget problems and said every city department was facing difficult staffing decisions.
The administration of Mayor Helena Moreno disputes allegations that firefighters were placed at risk or retaliated against for union activity. The city maintains that all New Orleans firefighters are competent to operate fire apparatus and that those responsibilities are included in their official job descriptions. However, the city also acknowledged that firefighters acting as operators or captains should be compensated appropriately, and said firefighter compensation is governed by the New Orleans Civil Service Commission.
Mischler argues that being generally competent to operate equipment is not the same as completing the required training and receiving formal qualification for a higher classification. The union says placing less-experienced firefighters in those positions could increase response times and create additional risks involving expensive equipment, water pressure, ladder operations and firefighters working inside burning structures.
Gipson said the city remains committed to reaching a resolution that protects the public, treats firefighters fairly and remains financially responsible. No agreement had been reached as of the conclusion of Monday’s meeting, and the union’s lawsuit remains pending.
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