City of El Paso and Firefighters Local 51 Contract Negotiations - June 22, 2026
City of El Paso and Firefighters Local 51 Contract Negotiations - June 22, 2026
On June 22, 2026, the City of El Paso and representatives of Firefighters Local 51 met to discuss the union's proposals and the city's responses. The meeting covered wages, incentives, examinations, drug and alcohol testing, overtime, leave, insurance, and other working conditions. Several proposals were accepted, some rejected, and others sent to committees for further evaluation. A follow-up meeting was scheduled for June 25, 2026.
Wages and Compensation
- Item 1 (Wage increase): Local 51 proposed four 7.5% pay increases upon signing and each September from 2027-2029. The city countered with a 2.5% increase plus a 5% step increase in the first year, followed by 2.5% increases in subsequent fiscal years, with exact dates to be determined.
- Item 3 (FTO pay): City accepted combining FTO and mentor pay at 5% above normal pay, with effective date to be determined.
- Item 4 (Bilingual pay): $500/year after passing city language test. City will continue research.
- Item 5 (Medical mentor pay): 5% above normal pay for precepting EMTs/paramedics, combined with Item 3, effective date to be determined.
- Item 6 (Communication assignment pay): 5% increase for FD personnel assigned to communications. City rejected due to existing policies (8 for 24 and overtime).
- Item 7 (Education pay): Increase of $50/month per degree level. City rejected due to financial constraints; tuition assistance program continues.
- Item 8 (Longevity pay): $10/month per year of service, max $250/month. City accepted, effective date to be determined.
- Item 9 (TCFP certification pay): Increase by $50/month per certification level. City accepted.
- Item 10 (Flight medic/critical care pay): 5% for ground critical care, 10% for flight paramedic (5%+5% or 5%+10%). City counter: working on policy for critical care paramedic 5% incentive pay.
- Item 11 (Specialty teams pay): Increase from $75/month to $100-$150; add critical care and peer support; stack max two for $300. City countered: support addition and stacking max $150, no increase currently.
- Item 12 (Working out of class pay): Increase to 10%. City rejected, no counter.
Examinations and Promotions
- Item 1: Change 30- and 60-day requirements from days to calendar days. City accepted.
- Item 2: Language cleanup for paramedic certification points. City accepted.
- Item 3: Change from three to four assistant chiefs in exam section. City accepted.
- Item 4: Increase promotional committee to 9 members and expand duties. City accepted.
- Item 5: New paragraph for promotions involving specialized assignments/40-hour positions. City counter: combine with Item 4 for committee research.
Drug and Alcohol Testing Policy
Local 51 proposed: 30-day suspension only if employee fails rehab within 180 days; no post-accident testing if not at fault. City opposed, stating safety-sensitive positions require immediate disciplinary action and post-accident testing for safety and regulatory compliance. City willing to discuss rehabilitation access and return-to-duty requirements while preserving management authority.
Extra Board and Overtime
- Item 1 (Comp time): New section allowing comp time accrual at 1.5 hours per hour worked and 1 hour travel. City accepted.
- Item 2 (Comp time accrual limits): Increase max accrual to 480 hours and payout to 240. City counter: increase accrual to 240 hours and payout to 120.
Leave, Vacation, and Sick Leave
- Item 1 (Vacation slots): Increase from 44 to 47 per shift. City rejected, citing staffing evaluation.
- Item 2 (Vacation sellback): Create program mirroring sick leave sellback (56-hour employees: max 180 hours sellback, 40-hour: 120, minimum balance 600 hours). City accepted with conditions: effective date to be determined.
- Item 3 (Vacation accrual rates): Increase accrual by 0.25 days/month across tiers and add 5-10 year tier. City rejected.
- Item 4 (Maximum accrual): Increase from 75 to 90 days. City rejected.
Insurance, Health and Safety, Uniforms
- Item 1 (Promotional date adjustment): Move effective date to account for fiscal year. City noted no promise of October 1st.
- Item 2 (Badges and insignia): Provide at no cost upon promotion. City accepted, pending language.
- Item 3 (Uniform allotment): Provide every October 1st. City counter: November 1st.
- Item 4 (Health and Safety Committee): Restructure with 9 members, co-chairs, and expanded duties per HB 4144 and NFPA 1582. City accepted restructuring to 9 members.
- Item 5 (Peer support program): Formalize under Health and Safety Committee. City accepted.
- Item 6-8 (Health care trust): Create committee to research feasibility. City accepted creation of health care trust committee and discipline review board, but rejected implementing a full health care trust system by end of contract (saying three years insufficient). City proposed evaluating discipline review board as alternative to civil service.
Other Proposals (City's Retained Prerogatives, Facilities, Electronics, Dues, Committees)
- Item 1 (Operational control): City retains control but agrees to communicate with Local 51 and fire chief on outsourcing non-emergency functions (e.g., civilian call takers, infection control officer, annual physicals). City accepted the proposal requiring MOU for changes to job specifications.
- Item 3 (Fire station repairs): Create tiered system for repairs (habitability/critical/urgent) with timelines. City counter: send to newly proposed Equipment Apparatus and Facility Committee for evaluation, citing difficulty meeting timelines due to construction demands.
- Item 5 (Personal electronic devices): No obligation to use personal devices for city business. City accepted.
- Item 6 (40-hour operations): Delete outdated section regarding former EMS employees. City accepted.
- Item 7 (Dues deduction): Amend for electronic deduction. City accepted.
- Item 8 (New labor management committees): Establish six committees (medical wellness, equipment apparatus facility, professional development/promotional, paramedic advisory, rules and regulations, fitness), each with 9 members and quorum of 5. City accepted.
Key Outcomes
- Many financial proposals were conditionally accepted with effective dates to be determined due to late budget season.
- The city rejected wage increases, education pay, vacation slot increases, and accrual rate increases.
- New committees were created for health care trust, discipline review, and various labor-management issues.
- A follow-up meeting is scheduled for June 25, 2026 to continue discussions.
Meeting Transcript
Good morning and thank you all for coming out today. Today we're just gonna kind of go over where we started from the beginning in each of the lines of your request or proposals and kind of go through and give the city's responses. Give you time to take it in. Um we can meet back next week, discuss it out even further. I know the fire department's working on a few little clauses they want to do on some language cleanup as well, the administration side. So I asked Chief to get that polished up and ready to go for next week as well. So we'll provide that to you next week and then give you time to review it and for the following meeting. But next next week, if you want to come back with everything we discuss here, that's fine. So we'll just start off, you know, going back to day one. Good morning, Nicole Cody. So we're gonna start um in the order that you all submitted them. So we're gonna start with wages and incentives. This was originally proposed back in April on April 7th of this year. And so I'm gonna go through each item. I'll read briefly briefly read the description, and then I'll read the city's response or counter proposal. At any time, if you've got questions or you will need additional clarification, or you want to interject or we need to discuss item, feel free. Please feel free to just speak up. So I'm gonna start with uh local fifty-one's proposal item number one. This is regarding wages and compensation under Article Nine. And the description is section one, uh seven and a half uh pay increase upon signing the agreement, effective in the first pay period following September one, again in September one of twenty twenty-seven, again in September one of twenty twenty-eight, and then again in September one of twenty twenty-nine. So the city's response or counter proposal as presented in the previous meeting is the first year would be a two and a half pay increase with a five percent step increase, then following followed by a two and a half pay increase effective the first pay period of the following fiscal year, and then the subsequent following fiscal year, and another two and a half percent the following fiscal year. And the reason we did put um fiscal year, and we do we don't have a date is because the dates would be finalized as part of the final contract, depending on the date of adoption. Item two, incentive pay. Create a new section for field training officer, pay at five percent above normal pay, while assigned a probationary firefighter for the full term of the probation period of twelve months. The city accepts the proposal that this combine that this item is combined with item five, FTO slash mentor pay, with an effective date to be determined. Item four incentive pay. New section, bilingual pay of $500 per year. Once employees successfully passes the city administered language test. City will continue to research this item. Item five. New section, medical mentor pay at 5% above normal pay while precepting and EMT basic or EMT paramedic, three continuous months, maximum dependent demand expected to increase substantially with EPFD moving to civilian to paramedic training academies. City accepts this proposal that is combined with item three, the effective date to be determined, and pending additional clarification. Can you all hear me okay? Do I need to move the mic? I just want to make sure those that are joining us are able to hear. Sorry about that. Item six, new section communication assignment pay, five percent pay increase above normal pay for FD uniform personnel assigned to work shifts at communications. The city does not accept the proposal due to the policies currently in place, such as the eight for 24 and overtime when scheduled off duty. Item seven, incentive pay. Section three, education pay increase for all levels by $50 per month, associate's degree increase of $200 per month, bachelor's $250 per month, masters at $200 at $300 per month. City does not accept proposal due to current financial constraints. Instead, continuing the tuition assistance program provides assistance to the employees advancing their education. Article 9, wages and other compensation. Section 8, longevity pay increase to $10 per month per year of service not to exceed $250 per month. City accepts a proposal, effective date to be determined. Item nine, Article 11, incentive pays, section one, Texas Commission on Fire Protection Certification Pay for Structural Firefighter Certification Certification Levels increased by $50 per month, immediate 164, advanced 194, and masters 124. City accepts the proposal, effective date to be determined. Item 10, incentive pay. New section, flight medics and critical care paramedic incentive pay of PAP 5% plus 5% for a total of 10% while working on a ground critical transport unit and pay of PAP 5% plus 10% for a total of 15 while working as a paramedic on an aircraft transport unit. Fire stars.
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