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Austin staff ask council to let them renegotiate fire contract after union launches charter petition
Summary
City labor staff told the council a tentative agreement with the Austin Firefighters Association could be undermined by a union‑backed charter amendment that adds new budget limits tied to a 4‑person staffing mandate; staff asked for direction to resume bargaining to resolve the conflict before the council votes.
Mayor Kirk Watson called the work session to order and directed the council to hear an update on a tentative agreement with the Austin Firefighters Association (AFA) before the council considered any final vote.
Roxanna Stevens, deputy labor relations officer, told the council the city and the AFA negotiated for about 60 days beginning July 30 and reached a tentative agreement Sept. 25; the city published the tentative agreement on Oct. 24. Stevens said the AFA later launched a petition for a charter amendment tied to four‑person staffing that — in the city’s reading — adds a new and significant budget limitation not considered during bargaining.
“We did negotiate that for a course of, 60 days that began on July 30, and we reached a tentative agreement on September 25,” Stevens said. She added the charter petition…
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