Collective Bargaining for Houston Firefighters Upheld

City Should ‘Abandon a Dangerous Legal Strategy,’ Agree to Arbitration

The Texas Gulf Coast Area Labor Federation and Texas AFL-CIO hailed today’s 14th Court of Appeals ruling upholding the constitutionality of collective bargaining between the Houston Professional Fire Fighters Association and the City of Houston. The ruling requires Houston to pay court costs to the union.

Texas Gulf Coast Area Labor Federation President Lacy Wolf said: “Because no negotiations have taken place since 2017, Houston firefighters have suffered through stagnant pay and benefits, greatly harming working families at the fire department but also greatly harming all of Houston as experienced, capable firefighters leave for better working conditions in other jurisdictions.”

“Today’s court victory affirming firefighters’ rights to collective bargaining marks a golden opportunity for the City of Houston to reconsider its stance and move toward a just resolution of an impasse that serves no one,” Wolf said. “It’s time to stop wasting time and taxpayer dollars.”

Texas AFL-CIO President Rick Levy said: “Today’s appeals court ruling reinforces the need for the City of Houston to move past years of unwarranted delay and move promptly toward a fair contract through independent arbitration”. We also ask the city to abandon a dangerous legal strategy that is at odds with Houstonians’ support at the polls for firefighters and jeopardizes the ability of all First Responders in Texas to speak up together for better working conditions.”

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The Texas Gulf Coast Area Labor Federation (TGCALF), AFL-CIO unites the power of 95 unions representing 60,000 union members across 13 counties to advocate for working families in the Texas Gulf Coast. We mobilize our members and community partners to demand a fair shot at better lives for all working people — regardless of the color of our skin, which country we come from, or whom we love. Learn more: www.gcaflcio.org/

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