San Antonio reaches agreement for new fire union contract

San Antonio has reached a tentative agreement on a $109.6 million, three-year labor contract with its fire union that would extended wage increases to emergency personnel while yielding concessions for the city.

Under terms of the agreement, firefighters and paramedics would get a 20% wage increase over three years. That would include 7% for the 2025 fiscal year, 8% in fiscal 2026 and 5% in fiscal 2027.

This is the first time the city and the union have agreed on terms of a contract since 2009. The fruitful negotiations stand in sharp contrast to a years-long slugfest that resulted in the current city contract. An arbitration panel ultimately hammered out that deal.

“This tentative agreement demonstrates that we are writing a new chapter for labor relations within the city organization," Mayor Ron Nirenberg said in an emailed statement. "I am thrilled that we were able to reach this point in a professional and timely manner.”

Representatives for the city and the union met 13 times since negotiations got underway at the end of February.

“People said it couldn’t be done,” fire union President Joe Jones told the San Antonio Report. “Is it perfect? It’s not perfect. It’s never perfect. That’s part of collaboration, that’s part of compromise, but we stuck to it.”

Before a contract can go into place, the fire union's membership must vote to accept the terms. The pact also requires City Council approval.

In addition to raising wages, the contract would bolster the city’s process for promotions and provide more accountability on sick leave, according to city officials. Meanwhile, it would offer firefighters more robust parental leave.

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