Since October, dozens of Santa Maria firefighters have been advocating for higher wages to keep up with inflation.
Matthew Chircop, a Santa Maria Fire Dept. captain and president of the Santa Maria Firefighters Association Local 2020, says his union's negotiations with the city have been going on for months and that they have yet to reach an agreement.
“What do we want? Contracts! When do we want it? Now!” chanted Santa Maria firefighters and their supporters Tuesday evening as they marched outside City Hall, calling for new contracts with increased wages.
“Within the tri-counties area, when compared to local agencies that are similar in nature, we are 14% behind the average pay. We are the second busiest agency with the second lowest pay,” Chircop said.
Earlier this month, the City of Santa Maria reached a labor agreement with the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Local 620, which had also been negotiating with the city for a pay increase.
“It is a two-year package with a 5% increase in year one, and 5% in year two, and some additional benefits with medical,” explained Mark van de Kamp, city public information officer.
While Van de Kamp was able to fill us in on the city’s agreement with the SEIU and the 300+ general city employees they represent, he could not provide comment regarding negotiations with the Firefighters Association, as they are still ongoing.
Chircop says for more than two months, his union has been waiting on city leaders to make them an acceptable offer.
“We are just out here speaking up in support of fair wages,” Chircop told KSBY. “We are hoping that the city council can rise to the occasion and support us and recognize the value of our worth.”
During Tuesday’s city council meeting, Chircop and a handful of other Santa Maria firefighters urged Mayor Alice Patino and the city council to hear their pleas.
“Despite my dream of serving in Santa Maria my entire career, my experience working for the city, along with ongoing negotiations, unfortunately, have led me, like many others, to currently seek other employment,” Santa Maria Fire Captain Chris Furtado said at the podium.
Chircop says in the past 12 years, the fire department has lost about 40% of its new hires, which he believes is a result of the pay disparity between Santa Maria firefighters and other regional agencies.
He says Local 2020’s continued push for increased wages is aimed at curbing employee turnover issues and ensuring livable salaries for the city’s first responders.
“I am hoping that city leaders and the city council hear our message and that our message will resonate with them and that they can go back to the table with us and come up with a resolution that will make everybody happy,” Chircop said.
Chircop says in December, the city presented Local 2020 with its final offer of a 5% raise in the first year and a 4% raise in the second, but the union could not accept the offer, extending the negotiations.
