By james art 
Irving voters will decide on a proposal that would give the city’s firefighters more say in their contracts.
On the ballot Tuesday in Irving is Proposition A, which calls for local adoption of the state’s Fire and Police Employee Relations Act of 1993, allowing for collective bargaining.
“This gives us a seat at the table with city leadership to be able to advocate on behalf of the membership and assistance, for improved safety standards to improve working conditions and for some of the staff for professional development,” said Brian Becker, president of the Irving Professional Firefighters Association.
The act has been implemented in more than 30 cities across the state, including Fort Worth, Houston, San Antonio and El Paso. Irving firefighters are asking for local action.
Becker said the term “collective bargaining” can be confusing for voters.
He said both sides — the firefighters and the city — will come to the table and discuss things like working conditions, working conditions, personnel, compensation, discipline and “basically everything that affects our lives, which ultimately affects the lives of citizens,” he said. Firefighters will still be banned from striking.
If Proposition A passes, Becker said all city meetings with representatives from his association and the city would be held in public for transparency and accountability. Of the cities he has spoken with, no taxes have been raised as a result of the policy, he said.
In April, community members and a representative of the firefighters association petitioned the city manager’s office to begin the process of getting the act on the Nov. 5 ballot. The Irving City Council passed the signature petition in June. KERA contacted the city for this story.
One of the challenges firefighters face is new city leaders and management every few years. Becker and others hope that if Prop A passes, it will help them capture some of the progress they’ve made and move forward instead of starting all over again.
If Prop A fails, Becker said firefighters will continue to provide quality service.
“At the end of the day, elected and appointed officials come and go, and so do firefighters, we will always be here,” he said. “Next year, the fire department will be in Irving for 100 years, and we’ll be here for another 100 years.”
He said there are more than 400 firefighters in the Irving Fire Department, almost all of whom are part of the association, Becker said. He said members will go to the polls on Tuesday wearing their yellow shirts.
Priscilla Rice is KERA’s Communities Reporter. Any advice? Email her at [email protected].
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