Firefighters last night began planning demonstrations slated for Kentucky Derby Festival events to protest nearly two years of working without a contract.
Plans for the peaceful protests came after talks between the union for Louisville Fire & Rescue and the city stalled this week.
Firefighters said they plan to hold signs and seek signatures on petitions supporting their stance. They'll demonstrate outside at Thunder Over Louisville, the Great Balloon Race and other events.
"We will be professional about it," said Randy Croney, who has been a firefighter for 19 years. "We just want what we're worth."
As their salaries stay flat, "everything's been going up," he said, citing rising gas, utilities and out-of-pocket medical expenses such as a $1,500 payment he recently made toward his wife's surgery.
During the past two years, firefighters have rejected two contract proposals, saying that neither offered enough of a raise and insufficient health benefits.
In March, union officials visited firehouses to talk about what would make a contract acceptable now. Firefighters agreed on a plan similar to one the city proposed last year that would give firefighters a four-year contract with no raise in the first year, but 2 percent raises in the last three.
But the city told them Monday that the offer no longer existed, said Craig Willman, union president."Now when we say we'll take it, they say the money's not there," Willman said. "Well, where did it go?"
Matt Kamer, a spokesman for Mayor Jerry Abramson, said the city's financial picture has changed since the original offer.For instance, the city expects to have to spend $12 million more on the municipal retirement system than it did last year, he said.
After talks ended Monday, the city sent the union another proposal, and the union has not officially responded, Kamer said.
Willman said he does not believe union members will accept the offer, and it may ask for a state fact-finding panel to be convened.
Willman said the union decided to accept the health insurance plan proposed by the city.
So what remains at issue is pay and longevity status, which is what gives firefighters a financial benefit for their years of service.
Willman said firefighters are willing to accept 2 percent annual raises, but they don't like a plan that would give them no raise for the past two years that they've been without a contract, a raise of 4 percent next year and a raise of 2 percent the following year.
Nor do they like a plan that eliminates the longevity benefit for all new employees and lowers the starting salary for a firefighter.
Firefighters urged the public to contact Metro Council members.
"The mayor signs our checks," Willman said. "We work for (the public). We're asking metro citizens, can we have a raise?"
Kamer said the city has negotiated successfully with 14 unions since merger. There are four other unions, in addition to the firefighters, who still do not have contracts, he said.
"We want to come to terms with this union as we have with others," Kamer said.
James Wilkins, vice president of the union local, said he was preparing signs for the protests with slogans such as "From Heroes to Zeroes."
"After 9/11, we were heroes" in the public's mind, he said. "Now we get zeroes" in raises, he added.