Houston city officials and the firefighters’ union both score victory in the ruling, and both claim victory.
Friday, March 31, 2023, 4:31 PM
Houston, Texas (KTRK) – Texas Supreme Court justices have decided a long-running battle between the city of Houston and Houston firefighters over parity pay.
Both sides come home with a victory in the verdict, and both claim victory.
The fight is over firefighter salaries and collective bargaining rights.
There have been countless battles in town over Proposition B, also known as “Prop B,” which voters approved in 2018.
Read more: Houston’s B-pillar: What now?
The B-pillar forced the city to find a way to provide equal pay for Houston firefighters and police officers, which politicians like Mayor Sylvester Turner have fought against.
On Thursday, the Texas Supreme Court struck down Prop B, which was a blow to the Houston Firefighters Union, which has been fighting to implement the changes since 2018.
Turner called the decision “a huge victory for the entire city of Houston and its financial stability.”
The mayor said earlier that the payment ceremony would cost the city tens of millions of dollars and force layoffs across all city departments.
RELATED: Proposed Houston firefighter pay raise to cost $115.3 million for next three years, says Mayor Turner
However, Thursday’s decision wasn’t just a win for those who oppose Prop B. The court also ruled in favor of the firefighters’ union in another case involving a state law dealing with firefighters’ pay.
The law, which the Supreme Court has ruled is constitutional, says that firefighters must be paid equal to similar jobs in the private sector, and that both sides must use collective bargaining to reach an agreement.
The city had previously challenged this law in court and lost.
The firefighters have been without a contract with the City of Houston since 2017 and say the city has been paying them unfairly ever since.
The ruling means that the city and firefighters will return to negotiations over this contract.
The Houston Firefighting Professionals Association will hold a news conference about the ruling at 1 p.m. Thursday.
More about PROP B:
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