Pittsburgh firefighters reach five-year contract with city

PITTSBURGH — Pittsburgh firefighters have reached a new contract with the city.

The agreement between the city and the union representing the firefighters, IAFF Local No. 1, was announced Friday after six months of negotiations.

The city says the contract covers the next five years and includes changes to call back rules, health insurance, leaves of absence, parental and pregnancy loss leave, uniform allowance, wages and the modernization of fire stations.

“This agreement ensures that the brave men and women of our Fire Bureau are fairly compensated for the vital and dangerous work they do keeping our residents safe, while giving the city the opportunity to structure work rules and promotions in a way that will improve the fire service,” said Mayor Ed Gainey in a statement.

The contract also provides a base wage increase for each year of the agreement for firefighters, with additional wage increases for Lieutenants, Captains, and Battalion Chiefs.

“Our firefighters have secured significant pay increases that help defray the costs of inflation and have secured new benefits, including parental leave, pregnancy loss leave, and health screenings for early illness detection,” said Pittsburgh Fire Fighters IAFF Local No. 1 President Ralph Sicuro in a statement.

Mayor Gainey will submit the resolutions to City Council in January to ratify the contract and amend the city’s 2024 Operating Budget and Five-Year Plan to incorporate financial changes.

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