City Council - Regular Meeting

So they're spitting on her.

Thank you for being with me. What happened? We will let you speak first, if you have any proposals, those of the last session. Then we will move on to some proposals, alternative proposals of the city.

If you please, you can show the presentation.

So if you want to proceed with the vote.

Good morning.

I have prepared a statement.

We have been meeting for more than four months in an attempt to reach an equal and just agreement for the firefighters of the city of Alessandria. At every step we have expressed our desire to negotiate in good faith to seek a resolution that satisfies both. Although the Association of El Paso firefighters, Locale 51, recognizes that there is much more to do to keep the city operational, the services offered by the El Paso firefighters cannot be underestimated. We have now exceeded the 31 August deadline to obtain a new contract. We tried to be patient in the process of launching the city. It continued its course and we remained silent while our reputation was ruined. This ends today. For the last several meetings, we confronted ourselves with what has been called the Austin Clause. As has been emphasized numerous times in our collective contract, there is already a formulation. that would cover any situation in which the business team of the city has made reference to modifications in state legislation or other laws. Article 1, section 2 covers this aspect and is addressed again in Article 6, section 3. The desire expressed by the city was to guarantee that, in case of changes outside their control, the 51st floor would return to the table to discuss the possibility of a friendly change. Once again, this formulation already exists. And if, when the time comes, we will do exactly that. I will not be the president and this will not be the council that imposes a similar link in the future without their due consideration. Therefore, Locale 51 rejects any modification of the text in this regard. I begin by stating that the Association of Firefighters of El Paso Locale 51 is looking for an equal and just agreement with the firefighters of the city of El Paso. Is it more than we ever asked?

Is it reasonable? No.

The firefighters are avid as we have been painted.

Absolutely not.

The documents obtained by the International Fire Guards Association, a municipal financial analysis, show that the PASO has the resources to meet what we requested at the beginning of these negotiations. But let's not look at the past. Just as we do not look back at the failed wage increases and past contracts, we have negotiated up to this point and we will work from here on. A press release from the city of 13-4-23, which refers to the funding for the highest costs of public safety, shows that there are funds. An article by El Paso Matters entitled The El Paso City Government is building a financial security network. When should it be used? which refers to the fact that funds have been made available by Pay for Futures to compensate for the increased salaries of police officers and firefighters, but which, if not used, show that there is money. Finally, a report by Calfox 14 from 28 to 23, entitled the Municipal Council of El Paso approves the agreement that will bring salary increases for police officers shows that there are funds. These reports further show that measures have been taken by the city to compensate the public safety workers, as I said, in an equal and fair way. As it has been stated several times during this process, the department of fire and security in El Paso is not only a high-level department in the state, but one of the best on a global level. This is obtained by men and women on the means who respond to calls and by all those who constantly strive to improve in every aspect of the work. We simply ask to be rewarded for the services we provide at the exceptionally high level in which we provide them. Thank you, sir.

I would like to start by saying that I completely agree with you.

We worked together to reach an agreement.

The discussion on the formulation emerged soon. It was finally... You don't like it.

Today we went ahead. And I even have a slide here that works on your last proposal of text.

And so there was a continuous pull and drop. So say, well, something has changed. As for what you presented originally, what the city proposed, I think we are in agreement. We have found a good point of agreement.

This is part of an agreement. This is part of the negotiation. And so that she says that it is unfair and iniquitous, I don't know why she should think so. Let's think that the vigilantes of the fire are greedy. But these are just voices of corrido. I want to say that was more or less the formulation used in that meeting of the budget of the municipal council, where it was said that the firemen were greedy. We were, I don't know, asking for more than the right at the expense of the city. This was a narration that was sold. We were bad, but it's not like that.

Neither do I believe that you are bad. So I agree with you on this. So, do you have a proposal to put on the table now or do you want me to go ahead?

Proceed. Moreover, for verbal clarity, the fund to which he made reference in those various reports of 2023, Paper Futures, was established. That is the cash balance of the city. So it is a cash balance, it is the entries in a tantrum that are not a sustainable source. The situation has changed since 2023, but three years later the position of the cash balance of the city is very different.

So I just want to admit it.

We have done many calculations. The head of UGIN will examine the different proposals we have, but for us it is really about looking at the future financing capacity of the city. What can the city do not only for this year? You have seen me present for 5 hours on August 18 encouraging the municipal council to adopt the budget to be able to finance not only all the city services but also what we have discussed in the last two months. With this, the El Paso Fire Brigade Association proposes what follows. They have 1, 3% more. A 5% drop.

They have 2, 3%. They have 4, 4%.

Excuse me, they have 4, 4%. So 3 plus 5, 3, 4, 4. As for the incentives, we are fully willing to discuss the displacement of those incentives that would facilitate the implementation of the initial shot.

This was our initial proposal. We are looking.

Do you want to start? Sascha Androwski, project management office.

Can you go back to the previous slide?

Yes, here it is. So, the proposal of the city at the moment is an adaptation at the cost of life of 3.5% each year from the first to the fourth and then grade 12 starting from the last year. These are the changes compared to our last proposal. So we increase the COLA by 3.5% for the year 1, 2, 3 and 4 and we add the 12th grade in the last year of the contract. The rest remains unchanged.

Next slide.

Looking at this other option, the level increase is anticipated, but this will involve a modification to the adeguamenti cola. So it will be three, three and a quarter and three and a half.

If you want we can explain how we moved the incentives, since we are evaluating the impact on the four years and how we can amortize it for the years to come.

If I could, please.

Old age. $7.50 in 2029. And then... $10 in 2030. Sorry to interrupt. We have it here. He didn't have it. We don't have those details in that one.

It doesn't contain this information.

All right. So, to clarify, seven and a half in fiscal year 29 and 10 in fiscal year 3.

Yes, correct. So the old age increases from 5 to 7.5 dollars in the fiscal year 2029 and then to 10 dollars in the fiscal year 2030. Let's move the payment for illness to the fiscal year 2029 and that for holidays to 2030. Everything else remains unchanged. This will help the city to amortize the fiscal years, especially 2028, because we consider 2028 as a high-impact year for the city. But we are already implementing level 12 since the first fiscal year. just to make sure we are in line with that proposal we consider three and a half below the line so we predict the 3% the first fiscal year the 3% the second the 3.25 the third and the 3.5 in the last we are therefore Increasing the queues as we proceed. Implementation of level 12 starting from the fiscal year 2027 and proceeding normally. The incentives for training for special teams will be implemented in the fiscal year 2027. People have said that field training will be implemented in the fiscal year 2028. Old age starts in 2028 with 7 years of age and then 10 dollars in 2030. Illness and holidays in the fiscal year 2029. Payment for illness in the fiscal year 2029 for holidays in 2030. as you can see the estimated total cost is 45.8 million

I think we're pretty close. We'll take 10 minutes, we'll discuss and come back.

We'll start again from there.

We will certainly arrange a room in front of you, as the last time. I would like to tell you that, although it is not so much, we will discuss it. A little clarity on the fact that If there is something, we will simply continue to do it. The encounter and the confrontation, that is your terminology, we will eliminate it, right? We will change it, but they will be only simple paragraphs in which it is said that we are arguing. All parties must agree. And then it's over.

I have another terminology that I will share with you. Now, while we enter the memory, you can look at it while we examine these numbers.

If possible, we can go back. We must examine what? Since it is part of the presentation, I will move on to the assignment with the last positive quickly before the last one.

And it was an examination. If you look, the last two parts are new.

The purpose of this meeting will be to evaluate. Circumstances and solutions reciprocally accepted that a measurable measure is practicable, preserves the intent of the practicable, preserves the intent of the objectives of the agreement, guarantees the continuity, the conformity, the continuity, the conformity of the agreement. It is quite clear.

If nothing in this arrangement is canceled, there will be or will end automatically any clause of this agreement or any modification resulting from the meetings and confrontations.

If both agree not to be a meeting and confrontation, it will be...

The section will be evaluated further, which means that it will not remain there forever.

We can eliminate it as soon as we have clarity at the state level. And with this we can go on pause.

Ottimo, invio quel testo proprio ora.

Certo.

L'email va bene?

Va bene. Sono le 10.50. 11.10. 20 minuti. Va bene. Grazie.

Very well, December 11th and we will meet again. All right, gentlemen. So again for the verbal, Jane Nicholson, President of the Association of Vigils of the Fire of the Party. Looking at the two offers presented, We have a counter-proposal. But looking at this, understanding that the step is rather heavy, a significant commitment, I mean that we are talking about more than 500 in the first year, which is the reason why, as mentioned above, we would be willing to move everything else out of the first year. However, looking at the second year we are talking about about 68 personnel units that will be interested in it and then coming to the years 3-4, we are talking about 35 units of personnel. So a pretty precipitous drop there. So with this I would propose a counter-proposal of 3% with the first year and 3.5% with the rest. We can discuss incentives and possible remodeling of the same if necessary.

I'll leave.

Go ahead. So, the shot, given the way it works in the anniversary, right? So the shot has an impact on two years, not just on one year. So the first year and then the second year. Our calculation is that the total impact for level 12 in the first year will be greater than 1.7 million dollars. and then the following year it will be close to 1.6 million dollars depending on when we implement it so in total the impact of the shot 12 when we start to implement it will be 3.3.2 million but from that moment on will become the base. So yes, it is correct that the maximum we will have will be 60 or more police officers and fire guards who will reach that maximum level, but it becomes a base from the beginning to the same level. So, the following year, the base on which the tail will be calculated will be higher. So this is what we are calculating.

If I understood correctly, then we are considering the greater impact of that shot, even if entering the fiscal year 27 affects the fiscal years 27 and 28. With this, then, I will modify my counterproposal 3.5.

Let's take a 15-minute break.

Great. However, the formulation. On the formulation. We are not there yet. So we can discuss it further as we can. However, I had some questions that I think are relevant to this consideration. we would have had to be under a new contract from September 1st so we have to look at the delays and how we will get into play for that staff that has already lost something this year then with the resale of sick leave we were discussing the last time sick leave for fiscal year 29 holidays for fiscal year 30 So what I understand is that the resale of sick leave will remain as it is until. So in that fiscal year 29 the city will absorb that double impact because it will be once and a half the normal rate and the following year in the same year the fiscal year will begin the resale of holidays.

And that's all I have to say.

Then the last two things I have questions about so far about the teams specialized teams, we discussed eliminating the limits, including obviously the balance sheets and how this is configured. And then the addition of those new specialized teams, flight, critical assistance and support between pairs. Just to clarify, if we are still thinking of inserting these new teams, even if the budget will remain unchanged, what is the situation?

Nicole Codi, city of El Paso. We have to go back to what we agreed on. So let me pull out the actual calculation sheet and then we will examine the specific language.

I don't want them to quote us. Yes, ma'am. All right. And regarding this, I will let the CFO talk to me more in depth, but as far as the errors are concerned, this changes the calculations. The calculations are already based on the time provided for our rotation. And the entrance is wrong.

We will then have to analyze it to see what it does for those numbers.

There are some difficulties in me.

It's 11.36, we'll take a break until 11.40. It seems good.

Excellent. His question is about special teams.

He clarifies it again. With specialized teams, we aimed to increase to 100 dollars per month and accumulate up to two teams. and understanding that to make sure that the pass forward happens, it could be necessary to keep it at 75 dollars without accumulation. However, we had also discussed the numerical limits for specialized teams and the last time we had discussed that there would not have been limits waiting for the budget and that those new specialised teams would be introduced, that is, the critical assistance paramedics, the flight assistants and the support team.

So, based on the registration we read on July 8, 2026, Locale 51 had a counter-proposal to increase the monthly import to 100 dollars, which can be accumulated up to two teams, with a maximum of 200 dollars per month, without limits on the number of members of the specialized teams to be paid for each shift. And the city was in agreement. Correct. Am I missing something?

So the question was, by moving these incentives and these things further to favor the initial shot, will we still be able to integrate those new teams and maintain the absence of maximum roofs?

I believe that the current proposal does not provide for the moving of these shots. Is that right, Sasha?

So, the current proposal implements an increase of 25 dollars in the fiscal year 2027.

Those will remain for the most part. They will remain in the fiscal year 2027. We don't see the need to move to accommodate the request. If you look at the slide in which we reported all the numbers observed in the first year, it's about 8 million. Well, that's our current capacity.

That's why we got to that C. We are trying to level the remaining three years to avoid big peaks. So this clarifies the point.

What was the other question?

There was another question. The only other thing was about the late payments, since we are beyond the date of implementation of the new contract. During the negotiations, we talked about the fact that the starting hours are fundamental, as well as everything else. So, wanting to keep those 8 million in the first year, moving the fifth shot to the first year, everything should become effective. If you are willing to accept, we will be able to evaluate the three and a half. On the language presented last time...

I think we're there. So you are saying that we have a preliminary agreement? I think we have a preliminary agreement. What is the next step? What are the timetables?

As far as I'm concerned, it will take a while to get everything registered by the legal office, make sure that everything is there and prepare the salary scales and everything else.

This week is already a short week. Next week we have the advice. Probably by the end of next week would be the earliest time. So if you could work on the timetable from there, you don't have to give it to me right away, but in short, if we could at least update ourselves or hear via email, just to understand when we plan the job.

I think we will be able to define it first. A clear formulation, I think, is the best way to say it. First we can submit it to the members, proceed with the evaluation and receive it.

And close this event.