Hundreds of firefighters and their supporters gather at City Hall, as contract negotiations continue to stagnate.
City Council voted Wednesday to continue the "evergreen" agreement that has been in place for three years, but Marty Lancton, president of Houston Professional Fire Fighters’ Association IAFF Local 341 says enough is enough...
"The city did not negotiate in good faith ever. Now we have asked a court to force the city to reach a sensible contract agreement that is fair to the citizens and fair to the men and women who serve this city."
Mayor Sylvester Turner says he wants to give firefighters what they rightfully earned, adding "it’s going to take all parties to come to the table to make an agreement."
"You can beat the administration up all day long. But until someone puts a machine back there where I can go... print the money, we don't have it."
Houston firefighters have been working without a contract since 2014.
"We're tired of it... We just don't make enough money with the current wages as they are... and we're having to work side jobs just to make ends meet...
"The mayor also said he wasn't going to balance the budet on the backs of firefighters. And he's done that."