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Committee forwards two ordinances adopting Amendment No. 2 to firefighters’ memoranda of understanding
Summary
The Government Audits and Oversight Committee voted without objection to send two ordinances to the full Board of Supervisors that would adopt Amendment No. 2 to memoranda of understanding with the San Francisco Firefighters Local 7 98 (unit 1 and unit 2); staff said the concessions yield roughly $7 million in savings spread across two fiscal years.
The Government Audits and Oversight Committee voted without objection to forward two ordinances to the full Board of Supervisors that would adopt Amendment No. 2 to the memoranda of understanding with the San Francisco Firefighters Local 7 98 for both rank-and-file and supervisor bargaining units.
Martin Grant of the Department of Human Resources told the committee the two agreements are a second concession deal with the firefighters and described the financial effect: the changes defer a 2% raise for about 18 months and, in combination with earlier reductions, "result[] in a savings of approximately $7,000,000 — 2 percent in 09/10 and 1% in 10/11," he said. Grant said the deferred amounts have been held in a virtual escrow and were incorporated into the budget while the parties awaited ratification and legislative approval.
The amendments were ratified by the bargaining units and representatives of the union urged the committee to move the ordinances to the full board. "This last time, we were due a raise and we gave 2% of that back to the city," Mr. Hanley, speaking for the firefighters, told the committee and asked supervisors to send the items to the board.
Supervisor Sophie Maxwell asked about the so-called "lockbox." Mr. Hanley described it as a good-faith arrangement in which the money was held so the city could begin to use it but would be refunded to members if the Board rejected the ratified amendment. Grant confirmed the funds are being treated as a virtual escrow and reiterated that members would be made whole if the Board did not approve the ordinances.
During public comment an unidentified speaker praised firefighters’ service and urged the city to reconsider contracting independent ambulance services, saying local firefighters and paramedics are "professionals" who should be prioritized for that work. The committee did not take action on ambulance contracting; that topic arose only in public comment.
With no further questions, Supervisor Maxwell moved to forward both items with a positive recommendation; the motion carried "without objection." The ordinances will appear on the Board of Supervisors agenda on January 26 for further consideration. The committee adjourned afterward.
