During a special meeting Friday, the City Council voted unanimously to approve a contract agreement reached last week between negotiating teams for the City of Bartlesville and International Association of Fire Fighters Local 200.
The one-year contract for the current fiscal year (FY 2021-22) will be retroactive to July 1, 2021. Negotiations for contract terms for Fiscal Year 2022-23 will begin next spring.
Talks had stalled between the parties over three points of contention: the department’s promotional procedures for management-level positions and “Me Too” clause, as well as firefighter pay. However, an agreement was reached last week regarding all three issues, and the proposed contract received full support from the council on Friday.
The new contract eliminates the Me Too clause and expands candidate options for top-level positions within the department, both of which were requested by the City. All ranks of firefighter will receive an 11.5 percent pay increase, which is more than the City’s original offer but less than previously requested by the IAFF.
“We’re grateful to the City Council, the City’s negotiating team and the IAFF for working together to bring these negotiations to an end prior to outside arbitration, which was set to be held this month,” said City Manager Mike Bailey. “Negotiations this year were intense at times, not only with the IAFF but with other employee groups as well. But in the end we have achieved something we’ve been working toward for some time: We have reviewed every City position over the past two years or so and have made pay increase adjustments where necessary to bring those positions in line with our peer cities. That is not only the right thing to do for our employees, but it puts us in a much better place for recruitment and employee retention in the future.”