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The Chicago Sun-Times has published an article (one of many to come in the coming weeks) that dives into the details of the CFD union contract, which is set to expire at the end of June. The piece highlights increases in base salaries for firefighters and chief officers, revealing a significant disparity between reported pay and actual earnings.
According to the Sun-Times, the city of Chicago pays fire department employees over $80 million annually in perks that add more than $15,000 to each firefighter’s salary on average. These extras aren’t included in the online database of city worker pay created by Mayor Rahm Emanuel, which claims firefighters earned about $87,000 last year. However, when considering these additional benefits, their average salary rises to around $104,000.
The article notes that most of the 5,000 department members earn far more than their posted salaries due to union-negotiated provisions. This gap is fueling tensions as the firefighters’ union negotiates a new contract with City Hall.
The current five-year contract, which expires in June, includes several financial incentives that the administration now wants to cut. Union leaders are resisting, vowing to protect the gains they achieved under former Mayor Richard M. Daley.
The Chicago Fire Department's personnel costs reached nearly $511 million last year, up from $480.2 million in 2010. While $430 million was for regular salaries, the remaining $81 million went toward bonuses, holiday pay, and specialty pay for trained personnel.
One of the largest categories of extra pay is the 5% bonus given to certified divers and "Tech A" workers who handle hazardous materials. These bonuses have grown significantly since they were added to the contract, leading many firefighters to pursue additional training.
By the start of this year, nearly 4,000 employees—80% of the department—had completed hazardous-materials training, doubling the number from 2008. The number of certified divers also increased from 142 to 367 in five years, driving up specialty pay from $6.4 million in 2008 to over $18.3 million last year.
Holiday premium pay, which doubles the salary for any employee working on 13 holidays, cost the city over $19.2 million in 2011. Another $15 million was paid in “duty availability†pay, giving every firefighter an extra $805 every three months.
The Emanuel administration is proposing to eliminate duty availability pay and limit specialty pay to those actually working in those roles. Union leaders have vowed to fight these changes, calling them “insulting and ridiculous.â€
The article also includes a list of the top 100 highest-paid fire department employees, showcasing the wide range of salaries and benefits. For example, Fire Commissioner Robert Hoff had a base salary of $198,459 but received a deduction of $8,204.66, resulting in total pay of $190,254.34. In contrast, Ambulance Commander John Durkin had a base salary of $112,872, but his total pay reached $184,597.93 due to additional benefits.
This data highlights the complexity of public sector compensation and the ongoing debate over transparency and fairness in city budgets. The full article can be found here.