The economy is bad.  The City of Houston faces a huge multi-million dollar budget shortfall—potentially $130 million in Fiscal Year 2012 (which begins on July 1).  We must lay off employees.  Consequently the Mayor’s Administration has tried to negotiate with the three employee unions (Police, Fire and HOPE [Municipal employees]) to minimize layoffs.  State law gives Police and Fire, not HOPE, the right not to negotiate.   Even with this right, Police chose to negotiate, as is HOPE, to minimize layoffs.  The same is not true of Fire.  Local 341, the Houston Professional Fire Fighters Union so far has refused to negotiate; has put inaccurate media accounts of what’s going on; and instead wants raises.  Are you kidding me?  Local 341 could save jobs if it negotiates in good faith.
Recently City Council approved an agreement voted upon favorably by the Police Union.  It ratified sacrifices made by police officers for the good of the City.  Police officers decided to defer automatic pay increases in order to do their part to help the budget shortfall, and I commend them for it.  I also salute them for sitting at the bargaining table to begin with.  The Police Union appreciates Houston’s economic challenges and made tough decisions for the collective good.  I also appreciate and commend HOPE for negotiating during these difficult times and being the leader in ways to cut waste and agree to layoff terms which are more fair than before.
The Mayor sent to department directors budget targets for FY’12.  Some departments, such as Public Libraries, were asked to cut their budgets by over 27% from FY’11 levels.  However, Fire and Police, which consume approximately 70% of the City’s General Fund revenues, were ONLY asked to cut 5%.  Notwithstanding the smallest budget reduction request, the leadership of Local 341 just whines about being treated like step-children compared to the police.  They refuse substantive negotiations, ie. – let’s try to save as many jobs – and instead whine to the media and not work towards real solutions.  
Local 341’s leadership has spread inaccurate information regarding pension reform.  To the contrary, the City is not trying to take away anyone’s pension or reduce benefits for those nearing retirement.  Did you know that the Police and Fire pension allow some to retire at 90% of what they earned yearly when they worked?  That is unsustainable going forward.  Municipalities and state governments across the U.S. now realize the drawbacks to back-end heavy compensation.  In Camden, New Jersey, 167 of its 373 police officers (45%) and about one third of its fire fighters.  New York City will close 20 fire stations.  We pay substantial amounts towards the Police and Fire pensions  YET still have to pay for current employees and new hires.  We can’t afford that.  No business can.  Those in government everywhere are reexamining deferred benefits.  This reexamination is done most effectively when all stakeholders negotiate.
While the Texas Legislature enabled Local 341 to refrain from negotiating with the City, it is such a disservice.  And, it appears that most don’t have the political will to take on Local 341’s leadership.  Apart from Council Member Anne Clutterbuck’s campaign committee, the Houston Police Union and Local 341 are the only entities I know of that will generally “max out” to Council candidates—that is, they will contribute the maximum allowable amount of $10,000 per election (general and runoff, for a total of $20,000) to candidates they support.  I am unafraid to tell the truth.  Local 341’s leadership is wrong in this instance, and I think it is incumbent as an elected official and fiscal watchdog of tax payer dollars, to let them and the people of Houston know what’s really going on.  It’s not just about the good of classified fire employees; it’s about what’s best for the City and the collective of all its employees.  
Interestingly I have spoken to at least 20 Local 341 members who contacted me regarding layoffs and ALL indicated a willingness to defer raises and perhaps have salary reductions so that none of them had to be laid off and so that, at least, they’d still have jobs.Lastly, at some point we need to have the discussion about where City employees live.  If they lived in the City, our tax base would be greater and we would have police and fire employees living in our neighborhoods deterring crime and the costs of public safety.