HOUSTON — More than a month after Houston City Council approved a settlement contract with the firefighters union, firefighters have received their checks.
The deal included $650 million in backpay going back to 2017. With interest, scheduled raises and other costs, the total price tag is estimated to be around $1.5 billion.
In a post to X, the Houston Professional Fire Fighters Association shared a video showing 4,900 firefighters lined up Saturday morning at NRG Park to get their backpay checks.
"It's a well-earned victory for those who stuck it out for the last eight years," the post said. "Finally, we can put the past behind us."
When the settlement passed back in June, there were cheers, tears and applause from the Houston City Council chamber.
City Controller Chris Hollins and some council members had expressed concern about the settlement’s cost and future impact on the city’s finances, as the payment would likely take around 25 to 30 years to pay off. In the end, it passed unanimously.
"This vote today was a show of support and appreciation for firefighters putting their lives on the line on a regular basis," Mayor John Whitmire said back in June when the vote passed.
The mayor maintained throughout the process that the final agreement was the best deal the city could reach without risking a higher cost and potentially further litigation.
"Obviously, it will be challenging to pay for it. No one disputes that. But, we can't afford not to and it is a reasonable settlement," Whitmire said in the story we ran in June.
The mayor also mentioned he would explore ways for the city to get more revenue in the future including from sources from the state and county governments.
“We’re looking to the state for significant changes to how we run city and county government,” Whitmire said. “It’s going to take some legislative support."
Following months of debate, the Houston City Council voted to approve the settlement contract with the firefighters union, ending a years-long legal battle.