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The Coral Gables Professional Firefighters Association Local 1210 announced today that it has declared impasse in its negotiations with the City of Coral Gables after more than two years of no progress towards reaching an agreement. The association noted that negotiations have been underway since the height of the pandemic in September 2020, without any tangible offers from the city that would solve for the current or future needs of its firefighters or its residents and businesses.
“For the past two years we have negotiated in good faith with the best interests of our bargaining unit and our citizens in mind,” said Coral Gables Firefighters Local 1210 President David Perez. “Given the caliber of service that our firefighters provide and the proposed expansions to our service area, it is difficult to characterize why administrators would prefer to spend taxpayer dollars and valuable resources on impasse proceedings rather than coming to a fair agreement that would prepare Coral Gables for the future rather than solve for the past.”
In addition to the 30 new buildings that are already in the pipeline for the city, which will require recruiting an additional four dozen firefighters, there are proposals being put forth to annex additional parts of Miami-Dade County, including Little Gables, High Pines and Ponce Davis. In total, these new annexations would add almost 900 acres of service area, equaling to a 10% increase in residents.
With already more than a 14% increase in call volume over the past five years, the association is asking the city to negotiate with them on a contract that is not only proportionate to the level of service that is already being provided, but on the services and labor force that will be needed as the city continues to grow.
“Our firefighters make up an elite group of professionals who are highly-rated and accredited and who exceed the national standards for service. They are representative of what Coral Gables residents have come to expect from its first responders for almost 75 years,” added Perez. “Negotiating in bad faith is not conducive to attracting top-tier talent, particularly at a time when the administration is attempting to increase its service areas through proposed annexations that do not meet the standards or ratios required for operations.”
About Coral Gables Professional Firefighters Association Local 1210:
Coral Gables Professional Firefighters Association Local 1210 is the labor bargaining unit for firefighters in the City of Coral Gables, serving its 50,000 residents and 12,000 businesses by enhancing public safety and preserving quality of life for its members and the community it serves.
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