HOUSTON — The Houston City Council on Wednesday delayed a vote on a proposed collective bargaining agreement and settlement with the Houston Firefighters Union and the city’s budget for the next fiscal year.
During Tuesday’s Budget and Fiscal Affairs Committee meeting, council members – who up until now had been working with draft copies of the CBA – said they received a copy of the proposed agreement Monday morning.
City Controller Chris Hollins said he received the document in the afternoon Tuesday.
“Have you had time to assess what the financial implications of that may be?” District C Councilwoman Abbie Kamin asked Hollins.
“As of this moment, I have not,” Hollins said.
The collective bargaining agreement was slated for a vote during Wednesday's city council meeting, less than 48 hours after members said they received the document.
The agreement reached earlier this year between Mayor John Whitmire and the firefighters union is worth an estimated $1.5 billion when taking into account pay raises, backpay and interest.
Since its announcement, council members have expressed concern about how the $650 million backpay figure was reached during negotiations and if the city could have reached an agreement for a less costly deal.
Mayor Whitmire maintained the city risked a much higher amount if litigation over backpay continued in court.
One of the concerns expressed Tuesday by some council members was over so-called "escalators" in the document which would boost scheduled pay increases if the city attains more revenue for public safety. Council members said they were concerned over how there is no clear language on what would trigger those escalators.
“Well then that means we have to vote on something that we don't know what the final terms are until after the fact,” District J Councilman Edward Pollard said during an exchange with City Attorney Arturo Michel.
“Yes,” Michel replied. “You would be asked to vote on something with the understanding that we could have language in there that it will come back when there's more specific revenue measures and a calculation.”
Other concerns included worries about a potential exodus from the department once firefighters receive backpay checks which would be sent at the end of July, when the agreement was approved.
Some council members said they had been told an exodus was unlikely as firefighters' pensions are tied to the pay of their last year of work and since there are significant pay raises built into the CBA, staff are likely to stay until those pay raises are established.
The proposed budget has been constructed with the CBA already built in to account for its fiscal impact.