Arlington Firefighters Union Calls For Pay Increase

ARLINGTON, VA — Brian Lynch, president of the Arlington Professional Firefighters and Paramedics Association (APFPA), called on the Arlington County Board Tuesday to implement a pay increase for county firefighters when it adopts the Fiscal Year 2022 budget.

"Being firefighters has always meant risking our lives for others," Lynch said, during a Tuesday night public hearing. "However, COVID-19 changed out world and now puts our families at risk too every time we go home. While this creates great concerns in our ranks, we have continued to answer the calls of the people of Arlington. Yet, over the past year, our take-home pay has decreased, as wages stayed flat and health-care costs increased."

Members of Recruit Class 75, who were hired in October 2017, will have served five years in the department by the end of FY 2022.

"Due to Arlington County pay policies, which we feel do not value those already serving, these members have fallen well behind their peers regarding compensation," said Wandekha Kanthula, APFPA's vice president of political affairs, in an email. "Firefighter/EMTs of Recruit Class 75 have a current salary of $55,848.00 a year, which is only $124.80 per year more than our newest hires, whose salary is $55,723.20."

By comparison, Firefighter/EMTs in Fairfax County receive a starting salary of $56,840.99, which is $992.99 more than Recruit Class 75 is currently being paid, according to data provided by Fairfax County.

"The sliding 'pay ranges,' currently utilized in these ever-changing market conditions, fail to make corresponding pay increases to the women and men the Arlington taxpayer has paid to train," Kanthula said. "Ultimately, everyone who steps foot in Arlington depends on these women and men to protect their life and property. Compensation decisions should be equitable for all that have served, particularly when every firefighter's family has endured substantial risk during this pandemic."

When County Manager Mark Schwartz introduced his FY 2022 budget proposal in February, he proposed a total budget of $1.36 billion, with is a 1.4 percent increase ($18.3 million) over FY 2021. For county operations, he proposed a 1.6 percent increase ($13.1 million) over FY 2021 for a total of $833.9 million. The remaining $529.7 million will go toward funding Arlington Public Schools, which is a 1 percent ($5.1 million) increase over the previous year.

Although Schwartz proposed a one-time $500 bonus for all county employees, his budget plan includes no pay raises. If the county board choses to enact the proposal as is, it would be the second year in a row county employees would go without a pay increase.

"A one-time bonus is not the solution. With the addition of federal money, you can make salary improvements," Lynch said. "The board needs to find administrative solutions instead of bureaucratic excuses."

In his budget proposal, Schwartz did leave the door open for a possible pay increase for county employees from the money the county would receive under President Biden's $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief plan. Back in February, Congress was still debating the plan, but the plan has since been passed and Biden signed it in March.

"We have done our part, going over and above to keep the community and should be recognized for extraordinary efforts," Lynch said. "Around us, we see wage increases in the private sector. We hear reports that federal, state, and other local governments are finding sustained ways to reward workers, including Arlington's own public schools."

On Feb. 25, Superintendent Dr. Francisco Durán presented a $704.4 million "needs-based" budget that included a 2 percent cost-of-living adjustment for employees of Arlington Public Schools.

"Taxpayers invest over $100,000 to recruit and train a firefighter," Lynch said. "Next year, many firefighters with nearly five years of service will be making less than a new hire in Fairfax. If you cannot afford to pay them a bit more, then what future will they see here? Let's be smart and spend a little now in compensation before you spend millions in replacing firefighters and losing skilled emergency responders."

The final public hearing on the FY 2022 budget proposal will be live streamed on Thursday, at 7 p.m. The County Board is scheduled to adopt the FY 2022 budget on April 17 and the school budget on May 6. The new fiscal year will begin on July 1.

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Arlington County Manager Proposes $1.36B 'Transition Budget'