CITY COUNCIL AGENDA ITEM
Memo Date: September 23, 2024
Agenda Date: September 24, 2024
Prepared By: Tammy B. Gemmati, Administrative Services Director
Through: Stockton Whitten, City Manager
Requested Action:
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Approve the Collective Bargaining Agreement between the City of Cocoa and the International Association of Firefighters (IAFF) for the contract term of October 1, 2024 through September 30, 2027. End
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BACKGROUND:
The City of Cocoa and International Association of Firefighters (IAFF) Union have renegotiated a new three-year term agreement of October 1, 2024 through September 30, 2027. This agreement includes the classifications of Firefighters, Driver/Operators, and Lieutenants. The negotiation team for the City included: City Manager Stockton Whitten, Administrative Services Director Tammy Gemmati (served as Chief Negotiator), Fire Chief Jonathan Lamm, Assistant Chief Dara Hennessy, and Finance Director Rebecca Bowman. There were nine negotiation sessions held between the parties. On September 13, 2024, the City and IAFF Union tentatively approved the contract and the union held a ratification vote over three Fire shifts, September 20, 21, and 22. The contract passed ratification with the union 22-0.
Since this was a complete contract negotiation, there were many changes made, some administrative in nature with little impact. Highlights of the contract modifications include:
Article 1 - Recognition:
• The City and Union agreed previously to file a joint Unit Clarification Petition with Public Employees Relation Commission (PERC) to add the Driver/Operator position to the bargaining unit certification. This has been done and is now pending PERC’s approval.
Article 2 - Discrimination:
• Gender identity and sexual orientation were added to protected classes of discrimination.
Article 13 - Promotions
• Promotions to Driver-Operator and Lieutenant will require the completion of a Taskbook to show proficiency in different position tasks.
Article 15 - Working out of Classification (WOC)
• Clean-up language
Article 18 - Gender (Article removed and changed to a Reserved article)
• This article has been removed from the contract as it is now obsolete. Changes were made throughout the CBA to remove gender references.
Article 24 - Personnel Files
• For progressive discipline purposes, verbal reprimands and written reprimands can be used for two years and suspensions were increased to five years.
• This exclusion does not apply when the offense of the reprimand involves policy violations of harassment, workplace violence, or egregious misconduct.
Article 25 - Shift Exchange
• Shift exchanges may only be done with employees of the same position classification.
• If the member misses more than two shift exchanges they lose the privilege for a year.
Article 26 - Uniforms
• Added new uniform items.
• Increase of shoe allowance.
Article 27 - Mileage Allowance (Removed article)
• This article is obsolete now and not necessary.
Article 28 - Insurance
• Made changes to the language to remove the dependent contribution amount. The City hasn’t followed that language in several years.
• Any changes to insurance require notice to the bargaining unit.
Article 29 - Wages
• FY25: 5% wage increase, with increased pay grades minimums and maximums of pay plan by 4%.
• FY26: 6% wage increase, with increased pay grades minimums and maximums of pay plan by 5%.
• FY27: 7% wage increase, with increased pay grades minimums and maximums of pay plan by 6%.
• Members must be hired by March 31 of the Fiscal Year to receive the full increase the ensuring Fiscal Year or they will be brought to the new pay grade minimum.
• When promoted to Lieutenant or Driver/Operator the employee will receive a 10% wage increase or go to the pay grade minimum, whichever is greater.
Article 30 - Incentive Pay
• Solo Paramedic Pay was increased for FY25 from $6,006 to $8,008 annually, paid at an hourly rate. The rate will be increased to $9,022 in FY26 and $12,012 in FY27.
• Bi-lingual Spanish employees will now receive an add pay once they pass a proficiency test.
Article 31 - Hours of Work and Overtime
• Short-Term Military Leave will now count as hours worked.
• Rest time was changed from 4:30 to 4:00 pm during weekdays.
Article 33 - Bereavement
• Changes were made to the time-off procedures related to bereavement.
Article 41 - Pension
• Amending pension plan to allow for an eight-year Deferred Retirement Option Plan (DROP) for current or future DROP participants.
• This will come back to City Council in the form of an ordinance after it is drafted by pension attorneys.
Article 42 - Education/Paramedic School
• New hires certified as a Paramedic or employees who obtain their Paramedic certification, will receive a $7,000 one-time bonus.
• After the employee is certified by the Medical Director they will receive an additional $3,500 one-time bonus.
• There are repayment agreements signed by employees that include a prorated term of four years.
Article 47 - Personnel Reduction
• The language in this article was cleaned up to read better in the event there was a personnel reduction and a recall.
Article 48 - Job Descriptions
• Job descriptions were modified slightly in the appendices of the agreement. In the event the job descriptions need to be modified by management during the three-year agreement, notice of the changes will be provided to the union under the terms in Article 7 - Policies and Procedures.
Article 50 - Duration
• This contract is a three-year term with possible reopeners in Wages (Article 29) Pension (Article 41). Details of the wages and pension reopener is written in the respective Articles.
STRATEGIC PLAN CONNECTION:
Public Safety/Community Standards
BUDGETARY IMPACT:
Budgeted Yes
If not budgeted, is amendment/transfer attached? N/A
The budgetary impact of this three-year contract renewal is illustrated in Article 29: Wages - The wage increases have been built into the FY25 Budget.
PREVIOUS ACTION:
At a regular City Council Meeting on September 14, 2021, Council approved a three-year contract between the City of Cocoa and the International Association of Firefighters (IAFF) for the contract term of October 1, 2021 through September 30, 2024.
At a regular City Council Meeting on September 12, 2023, Council approved the revised IAFF Agreement amending Article 29 Wages for Fiscal Year 2024.
RECOMMENDED MOTION:
Recommendation
Approve the Collective Bargaining Agreement between the City of Cocoa and the International Association of Firefighters (IAFF) for the contract term of October 1, 2024 through September 30, 2027.