Salisbury firefighters seeking new wage structure from city following recent pay raises
SALISBURY, N.C (QUEEN CITY NEWS) — Members of the Salisbury Professional Firefighters Union are asking the city to implement step raises to help attract and retain staff within the department.
As it stands, Salisbury firefighters claim there is no clear way for them to move up in their pay scale, and it’s causing valuable employees to leave.
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“This year alone, we’ve lost over 11 members of the fire department, six of whom were senior members, one of whom was a captain,” said union vice president Ethan Chirico.
In October 2022, the city conducted a pay study that resulted in pay increases for 63 percent of the fire department. But Chirico said it wasn’t as great a success as city leaders made it out to be.
Chirico believes step raises would benefit both the firefighters and the city. Employees would receive set pay increases for reaching various years of experience.
He gave an example of a 29-year veteran in the department who has not even made it to the mid-range of his salary scale.
“It properly demonstrates the experience of the service you are going to receive,” said Chirico. “A five-year firefighter service is different from a one-year firefighter service, which is different from a 15-year firefighter service.”
In a statement to Queen City News, Salisbury City Manager Jim Greene said, in part, “Although we do not have a step-raise program, the city offers alternative methods for increasing pay, including cost of living adjustments, merit pay, bonuses, and career development opportunities.”
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Chirico said he feels Greene’s response makes a “mockery” of the hardworking firefighters.
“We have reached out as an association to meet with him multiple times, and he has refused those invitations,” he said.
Members of the union believe the consequences go beyond just making a living wage. Chirico said public safety is at stake.
“Firefighters who have to work 48-hour shifts because we’re mandatorily forced to because of shortages are not as safe driving fire trucks, are not as safe making life-or-death decisions as officers on a fire scene,” he said.
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