Embrace creative thinking, maintain unity, and invest in our members and their families. Explore these key strategies for improved contracts and benefits.

In our negotiations, it’s essential to embrace creative thinking. We should explore alternative items and reevaluate past ones, even those that earlier generations might have dismissed.

Maintaining solidarity within our local union while establishing robust alliances with neighboring cities is crucial. Our families often bear the burden of delayed or unfavorable contracts, so it’s imperative that we stand united as brothers and sisters.

I am dedicated to promoting work-life balance as a core objective. Measures such as implementing rotating R days or introducing a D shift can significantly enhance the overall well-being and harmony of our workforce.

We are committed to investing in our members and their families. Our advocacy includes pushing for consistent starting salary increases in every contract negotiation, along with championing modern benefits such as mental health and paternity leave.

One key strategy is front-loading our contract with longevity increases in the earlier years, a move that greatly benefits the majority of our members.

The modernization of the pension cap is of utmost importance. Our priority is to address cap tiering before considering a cap raise, ensuring equal representation for all members, including officers and firefighters.

We recognize and value the experience of our dedicated members, which is why we propose negotiating the buyback of previous military and fire service time.

Another top priority is the expansion of the DROP program, providing members with the flexibility to consider early retirement while facilitating smoother career transitions.

Considering a transition from the rule of 68 to the rule of 64, which would enable members to retire earlier, is a promising future opportunity as well.