Lexington, firefighters union agree to new 3-year contract that includes raises
Editor’s Note: The Lexington-Fayette Urban County Council voted unanimously to approve the contract on March 17.
The city of Lexington and the union representing firefighters, lieutenants and captains have agreed to a three-year contract that includes raises and some changes to firefighter discipline.
The contract will include pay raises in each job classification of at least 4.5%, said David Barberie, a lawyer for the city.
Those pay increases will cost the city an additional $11.7 million over the three years of the contract with the Lexington Professional Firefighters lAFF Local 526, Barberie said.
The contract is retroactive to July 1. It covers 564 positions.
There were some changes to the contract, including allowing a union representative to be present during disciplinary proceedings, according to city officials and city documents. The firefighters also asked a citizen be placed on an internal disciplinary board that helps determine punishment of firefighters for infractions.
Two citizens will also be added to the Lexington Police Department’s internal disciplinary board as part of the city’s new collective bargaining agreement with the Lexington Fraternal Order of Police Bluegrass Lodge 4., which represents the city’s police officers. Those pushing for reforms — including more citizen input on police disciplinary processes — had asked for non-officers to be placed on the disciplinary board.
The firefighters’ contract has been the least contentious of the the city’s collective bargaining agreements. The city inked a deal with the correction officers’ union in February after months of back-and-forth. That contract also included pay raises to attract and retain corrections officers at the understaffed Fayette County Detention Center, costing the city an additional $10 million over the two years of the contract.
The city and the FOP police contract was signed in October. It will cost the city an additional $21 million over the four years of the contract. That contract also had substantial pay increases and bonus pay.
The firefighters’ contract still must be approved by the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Council. The council is expected to give it final passage at its Thursday meeting. The new collective bargaining agreement was first discussed during a Tuesday work session. No council member spoke against the new contract.
This story was originally published March 16, 2022 at 10:20 AM.
