Contract Update

As most of you are aware, we recently completed our contract negotiations with the City of Phoenix for the 2023–2024 cycle, and the membership has ratified the agreement. Contrary to what you might have heard, a single-year contract was not an idea presented by the City. Instead, it was put forth by President Darrell Kriplean in collaboration with IAFF President Brian Willingham. The motivation behind this is that the City’s revenue is one year behind, so we know what money was available. The city manager is very conservative with the revenue estimates, so it did not make sense to lock us into a second year with few to no monetary increases.  

We don’t anticipate that one-year contracts are going to be the norm moving forward, but we will always consider alternatives to ensure that we are placing ourselves in the best position possible to negotiate pay and benefits for the membership.

During the months that negotiations took place, we were able to get some items updated that had not been changed or adjusted in decades. While there were some difficult times during the process of negotiating, we were able to secure benefits that we believe are significant improvements for the membership.

We were able to get some items updated that had not been changed or adjusted in decades.

• One-time, non-continuous payment of 5% to be paid out in the first full pay period in August. We attempted to keep this place in December as in previous years, but the City wanted everything to be in unison with other labor groups.
• A 2.16% base wage increase
• An increase in standby pay to $100 for non-workdays and $80 for workdays
• Patrol shifts of 4-10s staying untouched for the next contract cycle. Thank you to everyone who completed the survey, and we heard you loud and clear in regard to this issue. The City understands that this is going to be our stance going forward, with no intention of discussing it further.
• DRE and phlebotomist premium pay up to $15 extra an hour while conducting the duties
• Increase in shift differential by $2 for nights and $1 for weekend
• Sick leave conversion on retirement:
  • 1–899 hours: 100% base wage for 50% of hours accrued
  • 900–1,285 hours: 100% base wage for 65% of hours accrued
  • 1,286–1,713 hours: 100% base wage for 80% of hours accrued
  • 1,714-plus hours: 100% base wage for 100% of hours accrued
• 80-hour vacation sellback rather than the 40 hours as in years past. This will still be the first check in December.

Negotiating a contract can be a complex and difficult process when binding arbitration is not available to be used. With hard work, persistence and having good working relationships with the City, the Association was able to get these benefits secured. In the next few months, I will be sending out a survey that will be used in the upcoming contract negotiations for the next cycle. I would appreciate it if you would take the time to complete the survey. This survey allows you, the membership, to communicate with us about what you believe is important to be negotiated during the contract cycle. I look forward to continuing to work for you in advocating for the benefits you deserve. 

If you have any questions, I can be contacted at the PLEA office or by email at jhernandez@azplea.com.