Toledo Firefighter Contract Talks Mark One Year Without Agreement

TOLEDO, Ohio — Negotiations between Toledo Fire and Rescue and the City of Toledo have officially hit the one-year mark, with no contract agreement reached after 365 days.

The contract expired on March 31, 2024, and despite ongoing discussions, a resolution has yet to be found. Joseph Cira, president of Toledo Firefighters Local 92, emphasized that firefighters are eager to settle the dispute and secure a new deal.

“These guys just want a deal,” Cira said. “We’re not asking for anything out of the ordinary. We just want a fair agreement.”

Typically, contract negotiations for Toledo Fire and Rescue begin three months before the existing contract expires. However, this year’s discussions started even earlier, spurred in part by the recent shift in responsibilities. Toledo Fire and Rescue assumed control over Advanced Life Support (ALS) operations for the county, adding complexity to the negotiations.

Cira explained that despite the early start, the negotiations have not moved forward as expected. One year later, only one issue remains unresolved: pay. Of the 34 issues on the table, 33 have been tentatively agreed upon, including measures to expand the number of paramedics from 250 to 305 by next year, raise base wages for paramedics by 6% to 10%, and add eight new floater positions to support firefighter training and development.

“The sticking point is the wage issue,” Cira said. “We’re just asking for the same deal the police got.”

Toledo’s police union, the Toledo Police Patrolman’s Association, recently secured a 16% raise over three years, including 3% increases for the first two years, a 4% raise for year three, and a 6% base wage adjustment. This agreement, which still needs approval from the city council, has become the basis of Toledo Fire’s demands.

“We never asked for more than 15%,” Cira added. “We just wanted the same deal the police received. We have 50 years of continuous wages down to the thousandth of a cent. We just wanted the same deal.”

In a statement, a city spokesperson expressed confidence that a resolution was near. “We’re nearly at the finish line,” the spokesperson said. “Of the 34 issues on the table, we’ve reached tentative agreements on 33, including increasing the number of paramedics, raising wages for paramedics, and creating new floater positions. The one remaining issue is wages, and both sides have agreed to allow a fact-finder to make the final decision.”

The city and Local 92 have agreed to meet with a fact-finder at the end of April to settle the wage issue. According to the city, a final contract is expected shortly thereafter.

Cira expressed frustration with the prolonged negotiations but emphasized that Local 92 was not looking to escalate the situation. “We agreed to fact-finding because we’re not trying to be adversarial. We just want what’s best for our members,” he said.

Once a deal is reached, the new contract will be retroactively dated to April 1, 2024, with an expiration likely set for December 2026. However, Cira noted that the union will begin preparing for the next round of negotiations in just 18 months.

As the clock ticks on, Toledo firefighters remain hopeful for a swift resolution, with both sides expressing their desire to move past the impasse and come to a fair agreement.