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Home > Leadership > Mayor > Archive Press Releases > 2008 Archives > February 2008 > Mayor Brown Announces 5.5% Pay Increase To Fire Fighters

Mayor Brown Announces 5.5% Pay Increase To Fire Fighters

Source/Contact
Office of the Mayor
Peter K. Cutler
Director of Communications
716-851-4841

City’s Successful State Appellate Division Appeal Provides Payment Retroactive to Lifting of Wage Freeze


Mayor Byron W. Brown today announced that the City of Buffalo will provide a 5.5% pay increase to the city’s fire fighters, which follows the city’s successful appeal in state Appellate Court.

On February 1, 2008, the Appellate Division issued a decision in the matter of the arbitration between the Buffalo Professional Fire Fighters’ Association and the City. The city successfully argued before the Appellate Division that the fire fighters were entitled to the wage increase.

“Based on the Appellate Division’s ruling, I am pleased today to announce that our fire fighters will receive a 5.5% pay increase,” said Mayor Brown. “This increase is retroactive to the lifting of wage freeze, which I had recommended to the Control Board and took effect on July 1, 2007. I have always agreed that the brave men and women of the Buffalo Fire Department deserve this pay increase.”

On July 18, 2005, the Rinaldo arbitration panel issued its interest arbitration award (the “Rinaldo Award”) for wage increases for the fire union members.

The interest arbitration award was nullified in Erie County Supreme Court and the City appealed the matter to the Appellate Division, which reversed the lower court’s ruling.

This increase will cost the city $3.6 million annually for the current employees and the costs will be financed in the current year from an allocation of $8.8 million the city set aside in this year’s city budget from our 2006-07 NYS AIM (Aid Incentive for Municipalities) funding.