A Baltimore, Maryland, arbitrator ended an eight-month impasse when she accepted Local 734’s last, best offer for this fiscal year’s labor-management agreement with the city.
The decision secures a 3.5% cost-of-living increase, supplemented by additional increases for apparatus drivers, emergency medical workers, and senior personnel. It also blocks the city’s attempt to reduce long-standing illness and injury protections.
For Local 734, the decision affirms that fair wages and long-standing health protections are not perks, but essential tools for keeping Baltimore’s fire and EMS services fully staffed and ready to serve the public.
“Local 734 appreciates the arbitrator’s careful consideration in this matter and is pleased with the award decision,” Local 734 President Matthew Coster said. “We are hopeful that this decision will help improve department morale and keep experienced fire fighters and paramedics in Baltimore instead of losing them to surrounding cities.”
Department morale, according to officials at the local, has been strained due to chronic understaffing and the resulting burden of excessive overtime hours.
There are currently 80 open fire fighter positions and 67 open emergency medical personnel positions.
Understaffing has occurred, in part, because the department didn’t hire during the COVID-19 pandemic and was slow to fill open positions, Local 734 officials said. Additionally, the department has been losing fire fighters and emergency medical personnel to better-paying departments.
Local 734 members have also raised concerns that fire and EMS shift schedules do not align. This has created problems when a fire fighter is scheduled to cover an EMS position in the next shift rotation. Because of this, delays can occur when a fire fighter is already on a call during shift change.
The Local hoped to address these morale and recruitment/retention issues with the 2026 agreement. But the city administration only offered a 2.5% wage increase and wanted to cut the illness leave policy.
After a several months of negotiations, Local 734 and the city administration reached an impasse.
General President Edward Kelly, General Secretary-Treasurer Frank Líma, and 4th District Vice President Andrew Pantelis worked with Local 734 to submit a settlement offer.
“Recruitment and retention have been significant issues for far too long. We brought a deal to the table that was very reasonable and one that we believed would help fill vacant positions,” Pantelis said. “But the city was not ready to listen, so the impasse went through the arbitration process.”
Recruitment and retention have been significant issues for far too long. We brought a deal to the table that was very reasonable and one that we believed would help fill vacant positions. But the city was not ready to listen, so the impasse went through the arbitration process.
4th District Vice President Andrew Pantelis
Arbitration proceedings began in August 2025.
In accordance with the city charter, the arbitrator heard arguments from both sides and would accept the city’s or the Local’s last best offer in its entirety. The arbitrator could not issue a partial ruling or make modifications.
After hearing the case, the arbitrator determined Local 734’s proposal was reasonable and consistent with comparable fire departments, while also protecting the long-standing rights of fire fighters and paramedics.
Going forward, Local 734 leaders plan to continue to work with the city on the outstanding issues.
“We remain committed to working with city leadership to improve schedules, reduce overtime, and modernize operations,” Coster said. “But that work must start from a place of respect, facts, and good-faith bargaining – and this decision reinforces that principle.”
