Houston firefighters to get 'an average 18% pay increase'

Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner has announced that the city's firefighters will be receiving a pay increase over the next three fiscal years.

The last pay raise for city firefighters were in 2014, and only totaled a 3% increase, while the upcoming new pay raises will be a salary increase of 6%, ABC 13 reported. 

"@HoustonFire to receive an average 18% pay increase over three fiscal yrs. First-year firefighter salary raised from $43,528 to over $51,800/yr. Thank You @houmayor @SylvesterTurner & @HoustonTX City Council for prioritizing FF raises," Houston Fire Chief Samuel Peña wrote in a tweet. 

In total, the pay raises will cost $115.3 million, and would mean a nearly $8,000 increase for first-year firefighters, according to ABC 13. 

“This is fair, just and affordable. This pay increase announced today is going to ensure that the firefighters’ salary comes within market range for their jobs,” Pena said, as reported by Click 2 Houston.

Money to fund the pay raise comes from the American Rescue Plan and will take firefighters from making $17 an hour to $21.35 an hour. 

“The city is on the hook and the liability for hundreds of millions of dollars and for somebody to come in and to graze over that is like not paying your mortgage for five years and saying well, you know what, I’ll just start paying what I believe I should be paying moving forward. I’m not going to settle what I owe you for not paying my mortgage,” Marty Lancton, president of the Houston Professional Fire Fighters Association, said as reported by Click 2 Houston.

The new pay raises will take effect on Thursday, July 1, with the second raise in 2023 and the third in 2024, Click 2 Houston said. 

While some may wonder why such an increase is happening in such a short period of time, Johnson said it is because of a two-and-a-half year court battle between the city and the firefighters' union, ABC 13 reported. 

Turner assured residents that the pay raises are one that the city can afford, and insisted that he supports better pay for firefighters as he always has.