Palo Alto's firefighters will receive significant salary increases between now and 2020 as part of a new three-year contract agreement that will also require them to contribute more toward their pension and health care costs.
The new contract, which the City Council approved on Oct. 1, grants three separate 3 percent salary raises to the 88 employees who are represented by the city's main firefighter union, International Association of Fire Fighters Local 1313 (IAFF). The first takes effect in the first pay period after the contract adoption; the next two increases would kick in in July 2019 and in July 2020.
In addition to the immediate 3 percent raise in base pay, each firefighter is also receiving a 2.5 percent raise that the city is characterizing as "market adjustment," with the intent of bringing local salaries to market median. The 2.5 percent raise also kicks in immediately.