According to Mayor John Whitmire, this deal will avoid expensive legal fees and put an end to what has been a yearslong political saga.
As Houston's population goes up, so does the need for first responders. Now, Mayor John Whitmire is keeping true to his promise to pay firefighters.Houston firefighters will have a contract with the city for the first time in eight years.
Whitmire was endorsed by the union during his campaign, and he has now followed through on this promise and reached an agreement. Former Mayor Sylvester Turner wasn't able to do that in his two terms at City Hall. "We are down 500 firefighters than where we were in 2010, and that should be alarming to everybody. And the reason that they've left is low morale and low pay," Houston Professional Firefighters Association President Patrick "Marty" Lancton said. "You cannot have public safety be a priority when you're losing people to go to other departments.
"An agreement of this nature is absolutely necessary to recruit and retain firefighters in the quality and numbers needed to serve the largest city in Texas," Whitmire said in a statement. "I want to reiterate that it helps avoid further unnecessary litigation costs, the uncertainty of multiple decisions by a court or an arbitration panel, and allows us to move forward together.
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