LOUISVILLE, Ky. — In total, the new contract for International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF) Local 54 members boosts firefighter pay by 24% over five years.
"The dollars speak for themselves," Local 54 President Jeff Taylor said. "It makes us one of the highest, if not the highest paid fire department in the state of Kentucky."
With 98% of union members voting, the local IAFF voted 'yes' on their contract with the city of Louisville on Saturday, passing by 60%.
"That does not give us a lot of satisfaction, frankly," Taylor said. "We want a higher percentage of our people to see and agree that the contract's good for them. When we miss the boat on one, let alone forty, it's concerning to local leadership."
Despite concern, this ends a period of uncertainty for the Louisville Fire Department. Since negotiations began last year, their heroics—seen nationwide after the Clark Memorial Bridge rescue—went on without increased pay.
However, 7% of the contract's raise will apply to pay earned over the last year.
Pay goes up another 5% this year, with a 5% increase following in 2025, 3% in 2026, and 4% in 2027.
Before the contract, the starting salary of a Louisville firefighter was $55,317.18. With the retroactive raise applied, and the 5% from the contract ratification, starting pay will be $62,148.85.
"I am incredibly grateful for the hard work our firefighters put in every day to keep us safe and I am pleased they approved their new contract," Mayor Craig Greenberg said in a statement. "This contract provides historic 24% raises over the next several years, including an immediate 7% raise to help the department recruit and retain the best firefighters in the city. Thank you to the members of Louisville Fire Department."
After clearing the historic hurdle, Taylor's focus is on securing more money for repairing the department's buildings. Some, he says, are over 100 years old.
Even though Metro Council passed $800,000 in amended budget funds for those repairs, Taylor believes it's $850,000 too short. That's after the $87.7 million budget Louisville Fire requested dipped to $86.9 million during the council's budget vote.
"We're gonna work with the administration to see what his attitude is about restoring that $850,000, but if he does not do that, you can expect another fight from us," the union leader said.
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