Dallas police and firefighter groups are negotiating with the city over a new labor agreement as the existing contract is scheduled to end Sept. 30.
Six associations must sign off on a replacement deal, but the groups have not reached the same position on the city’s latest proposal. Three associations, including the Dallas Police Association, say the offer does not do enough on compensation.
Sean Pease, president of the Dallas Police Association, said his group does not want to send the proposal to members for a vote. "What we're saying is this is such a bad offer, we're not even going to waste y'all's time on even going to a vote," Pease said.
Other groups have taken a different view, saying members should be able to examine the offer and make their own decision. Brandon Terry, president of the Dallas Black Firefighters Association, said, "I think it is a fair thing to do, and a smart thing to do is to let the members see the proposal and make a decision."
Dallas police starting salaries are about $81,000 annually, while base pay for firefighters starts at about $75,000. Dallas is not among the five highest-paying police departments in North Texas. City Manager Kimberly Tolbert said the next budget has space for a raise, and she said the city raised starting pay by nearly 8% in the previous budget to help Dallas compete regionally.
Pease disputed that the city’s approach has been fair.
