New Orleans Local Scores Important Victory in Pay Battle

October 19, 2007 – The Louisiana Supreme Court of New Orleans has ordered the City to restore salary increases for fire fighters that it has illegally withheld, ruling October 12 to deny the City’s appeal of a Civil District Court judgment issued earlier this year establishing the correct level of pay for fire fighters based on longevity increases they should have received over the course of their career.

“Our Local 632 fire fighters have prevailed once again,” says IAFF General President Harold Schaitberger. “They are sending a message to the mayor and his administration to stop playing games and pay fire fighters what they owe them.”

The long-running dispute between New Orleans, LA Local 632 and New Orleans city officials over fire fighter pay should have been settled early this year when Civil District Judge Kern Reese ordered the City to implement long overdue raises for fire fighters.

“This unlawful dismantling of fire fighters’ wages has caused many of our members to lose pay,” says New Orleans Local 632 President Nick Felton. “It also harms their families, negatively impacts recruitment and retention and will require additional back pay adjustments that cost our citizens more money.”

“Our members stayed on their post and rescued thousands of people after Hurricane Katrina, all the while knowing that their homes were destroyed and their families separated. They deserve proper pay and respect,” adds IAFF 14th District Vice President Danny Todd.

New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin failed to authorize annual 2 percent longevity increases in 2001, even though the Louisiana state legislature mandated the increase. In addition, he raised salaries for police officers and all other public employees by 10 percent in 2006, but failed to include raises for fire fighters. In November 2006, Judge Reese ordered the City to begin paying the longevity raises immediately. Both the 2 percent annual longevity raise and the 10 percent wage increase was to be reflected in the fire fighters’ paychecks in January, but approximately 70 fire fighters’ pay actually decreased while others got an increase, but not the proper amount.

The latest Supreme Court action means that the City must restore the pay cuts it unilaterally enacted during its appeal. Meanwhile, New Orleans Local 632 in moving forward with a trial court motion for contempt to restart the pay calculations and awards for its members.