El Paso Firefighter Union Contract Negotiations Meeting

This meeting, held on April 15, 2026, focused on a series of proposed amendments to the collective bargaining agreement for the El Paso Fire Department (EPFD). The union representatives, led by Mario Diagostino, presented a comprehensive package of economic incentives and pay adjustments aimed at improving recruitment, retention, and compensation for firefighters and paramedics. The city council members present asked clarifying questions regarding comparables, data sources, and specific program mechanics. The meeting concluded with an agreement to reconvene the following Friday.

Discussion Items

• Item 1: Average Contract Pay Comparables – The union representative stated that the proposed pay levels are in keeping with the average on the contract for EPFD and with comparative departments across Texas. A council member asked for supporting data, which the union agreed to provide.
• Item 2: Paramedic Assignment Pay (PAP) Increase – Proposed increase from 5% to 10% for paramedics working on ambulances, citing a large increase in call volume and duties. The union will supply comparable city data.
• Item 3: Field Training Officer (FTOP) Pay Implementation – Proposed 5% incentive for field training officers, consistent with EPFD practices and comparable cities like San Antonio.
• Item 4: Bilingual Pay – Proposed $500 per year for employees who pass a city-administered language test. The union cited San Antonio, Dallas, Fort Worth, and Austin as examples of cities with similar incentives, covering multiple languages.
• Item 5: Medical Mentor Pay – Proposed pay for medical mentors, justified by increased call volume and the need to train new EMTs and paramedics, especially with the shift to civilian paramedic training academies.
• Item 6: Communications Assignment Pay – Proposed 5% incentive for personnel working at the communications center. The union argued the current contract is outdated regarding how personnel are used and certified.
• Item 7: Education Pay Increase – Proposed $50/month increases for associates, bachelor's, and master's degrees, in line with comparative departments. During discussion, it was clarified that the 5% communications assignment pay applies whenever an employee works at comms, regardless of schedule, and that firefighters are sometimes pulled from line assignments for comms work without additional compensation.
• Item 8: Longevity Pay Increase – Proposed increase to $10 per month per year of service, capped at $250 per month, citing Dallas, Fort Worth, and San Antonio. The union emphasized the need to incentivize retention, noting that Austin recently opened lateral transfers for captain level, and that brain drain affects not only young people leaving for college but also experienced personnel.
• Item 9: TCFP Pay Increase – Proposed $50/month increase for Texas Commission on Fire Protection (TCFP) certification. The union stressed that TCFP involves significant ongoing education and training.
• Item 10: Critical Care and Aircraft PAP Increase – Proposed adding 5% to PAP for critical care (bringing to 10%) and another 5% for aircraft assignments (bringing to 15%), citing the highly hazardous nature of the work and the lack of prior hazard pay or insurance rider.
• Item 11: Specialty Teams Pay Increase – Proposed increasing pay from $75 to $150 per month, adding critical care paramedics and peer support members, and allowing stacking up to two teams for a maximum of $300 per month. The union noted a rise in suicides in the fire service and the importance of peer support. They also proposed removing caps on the number of members per specialty team (e.g., water rescue, ComSar, hazmat) to allow the department to expand teams as needed without arbitrary limits. A council member clarified that the caps would be eliminated entirely, benefiting both members and department flexibility.
• Item 12: Working Out of Class Pay – Proposed increase from 5% to 10% for employees temporarily working in a higher classification, to further incentivize performance.

Key Outcomes

• The union will provide the city with: (1) comparable salary data and HR data used to justify the proposals, (2) research on insurance comparables for aircraft hazard pay, and (3) details on how the pay proposals were developed.
• The meeting was adjourned with agreement to reconvene on Friday, April 22, 2026, in the afternoon, as the current room is booked in the morning.