As contract talks with the city get underway, the union representing Austin firefighters is pushing for higher wages and a shorter work week — a package its president says is critical to firefighter safety and fairness across public safety departments.
The Austin Firefighters Association brought those proposals to the city Wednesday during the first bargaining session over a new four-year labor contract, held at the city’s Permitting and Development Center in North Austin.
The session was described as cordial, but union president Bob Nicks warned tensions could mount, especially after last month’s overwhelming no-confidence vote in Fire Chief Joel Baker’s leadership. That vote followed widespread frustration over the department’s delayed and limited deployment to historic flooding in Kerr County…