Firefighters in Hurst plan to begin collective bargaining negotiations with the city after voters approved their right to do so in a November 4 special election. The measure passed with 70% of voters in support, clearing the way for the Hurst Firefighters Association to negotiate compensation, benefits, and working conditions.
Cody Lammons, president of the Hurst Firefighters Association, said the group wants to move quickly. “We don’t know how long it’s going to be before we can start the negotiation process,” Lammons said, according to the Fort Worth Report. “We would like to start as early as possible in order to get the negotiations going.”
The association represents most members of the city’s fire department and intends to seek adjustments to wages, benefits, staffing levels, and equipment needs. Lammons said the department needs more personnel and an additional ambulance to meet service demands.
Hurst City Manager Clay Caruthers said city officials support firefighters but face financial constraints that could shape the discussions.
“The budget’s just getting tighter, simply put,” Caruthers said, according to KERA News. “We’ve got difficult programmatic and service level choices that we’re going to need to make moving forward.”
City materials released before the election highlighted existing benefits for firefighters, including life insurance, healthcare, and a 48/96 shift schedule. The city also noted that negotiations could lead to higher taxes or cuts to other municipal services.
Caruthers said he expected voters to approve the measure but expressed surprise about the timing. He pointed out that Texans continue to weigh local tax reform as they decide on collective bargaining.
Lammons stressed that firefighters do not want to impose additional costs on residents. “We don’t want to have an impact on another department, and we certainly don’t want to do anything to raise the taxes of our citizens that support us so much,” he said.
Lammons described the petition process and election-night results as humbling, noting strong community support. “I was very surprised and happy to see that we won by the majority that we did,” he said.
He added that the association plans to keep residents informed. Lammons said the group aims to be “as transparent as possible” throughout the process. Caruthers said residents should watch upcoming city council agendas for updates on collective bargaining items.