City of Philadelphia - File #: 060914

• File #: 060914
• Version: 0
• Type: Resolution
• Status: ADOPTED
• File created: 11/30/2006
• In control: CITY COUNCIL
• Final action: 11/30/2006
• Title: In favor of honoring The Firefighter And Paramedic Interest Arbitration Award.
• Sponsors: Councilmember O'Neill, Councilmember O'Neill, Councilmember DiCicco, Councilmember DiCicco, Councilmember Kelly, Councilmember Kelly, Councilmember Krajewski, Councilmember Krajewski, Councilmember Kenney, Councilmember Kenney, Councilmember Rizzo, Councilmember Rizzo, Councilmember Goode, Councilmember Goode, Councilmember Greenlee, Councilmember Greenlee, Councilmember Ramos, Councilmember Ramos, Councilmember Tasco, Councilmember Tasco, Councilmember Campbell, Councilmember Campbell, Councilmember Savage, Councilmember Savage, Councilmember Miller, Councilmember Miller, Councilmember Clarke, Councilmember Clarke, Councilmember Blackwell, Councilmember Blackwell, Council President Verna, Council President Verna, Councilmember Reynolds Brown, Councilmember Reynolds Brown

Date	Ver.	Action By	Action	Result	Tally
11/30/2006	0	CITY COUNCIL	ADOPTED
11/30/2006	0	CITY COUNCIL	ADOPTED
11/30/2006	0	CITY COUNCIL	READ
11/30/2006	0	CITY COUNCIL	READ
11/30/2006	0	CITY COUNCIL	Introduced	Pass
11/30/2006	0	CITY COUNCIL	Introduced	Pass

Title
In favor of honoring The Firefighter And Paramedic Interest Arbitration Award.
Body
WHEREAS, Philadelphia's Firefighters and Paramedics put their lives on the line every day to protect the residents of our City; and

WHEREAS, These City's 2,400 Firefighters and Paramedics are represented by the Philadelphia Fire Fighters' Union, Local 22 of the International Association of Fire Fighters, AFL-CIO; and

WHEREAS, The most recent collective bargaining agreement governing the City's Firefighters and Paramedics expired in June 2005, and for the last 17 months the Firefighters and Paramedics have worked without a contract, making them the only municipal union whose contract remains unresolved; and

WHEREAS, The City's Firefighters and Paramedics are legally prohibited from striking to resolve their contract disputes, but instead are permitted to engage in "final and binding" interest arbitration to resolve those disputes; and

WHEREAS, From December 2004 through June 2006, the Firefighters and the City engaged in extensive negotiations for a new contract, including 16 days of interest arbitration hearings, 38 separate witnesses and hundreds of exhibits; and

WHEREAS, On June 28, 2006, and after months of deliberations, an Arbitration Panel charged with deciding the terms and conditions of employment of Philadelphia's Firefighters and Paramedics released a three-year contract Award that covers the period from July 1, 2005 through June 30, 2008; and

WHEREAS, The Arbitration Panel's Award, including a 16-page preamble that explained and justified each of the Panel's actions, provided a number of fair and reasonable changes to the Firefighter contract, including the following:

* Wages. The Award provides for limited wage increases that match raises awarded to the City's Police Officers in 2004 - without appeal by the City - 3% (July 2005), 3% (July 2006) and 4% (July 2007).

* Healthcare. The Award provides measured increases to the ...