Houston firefighters are still waiting on the mayor to give them the pay raise approved by voters under Proposition B.
Union president Marty Lancton says no new talks are scheduled. Meanwhile, Mayor Sylvester Turner continues to seek legal action to stop the voter-approved Prop B from going into effect and giving firefighters pay parity with police.
“This is not about the firefighters, this mayor has put the names of firefighters on the lawsuit, but he is saying that 300,000 voters, he's smarter than them and doesn't have to listen to them,” he says.
Lancton expects further legal action by IAFF Local 341 could be taken in the coming weeks.
“You're almost at 100 days and there has been no proposal from the city. They are in violation of the law. They continue to not tell the firefighters when they are supposed to be expecting the city to pay them what the law says they're owed.”
Meanwhile, Lancton says first responders are pushing HB 1521 in Austin that would penalize insurers for denying workers' comp claims such as cancer.
“Every single cancer claim Houston firefighters have filed under the workers' comp legislation has been denied under this mayor,” he says. “Since Mayor Turner took office, every single cancer claim has been denied.”
Lancton says current law allows firefighters to receive medical treatment earned while risking their lives to protect others.