Amid the coronavirus pandemic, Tallahassee firefighters have been working without a formal contract with the city for more than 100 days.
After nearly a year of negotiations, the two sides are far from an agreement and have declared a formal impasse. Now, the city and Tallahassee Professional Firefighters, IAFF Local 2339 are spending thousands on mediation involving a Special Magistrate process.
“The City Manager has contended they don’t have the money due to COVID,” union president Joey Davis told WCTV’s Katie Kaplan Thursday night.
Davis said IAFF has had 13 meetings with city leaders since last February before the negotiations stalled. “We were looking to match, or get enough to be closer and more competitive, to other first responders in our area and try to get it to the point where we’re not losing men and women,” Davis said.