Interoffice Memorandum
DATE: May 1, 2026
TO: Mayor Jerry L. Demings and County Commissioners
THROUGH: N/A
FROM: Ralphetta Aker McClary, Human Resources Director
CONTACT: Reginald Davis, Human Resources Section Manager
PHONE: (407) 836-5479
DIVISION: Human Resources Division
ACTION REQUESTED:
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Approval and execution of Agreement between Orange County, Florida and Orange County Fire Fighters Association I.A.F.F., Local 2057 (A-Unit) Fiscal Years 2024-25 through 2026-27; approval of Fiscal Year 2024-25 and 2025-26 annual salary increases to employee ID#’s 108683, 116501, 111540, 122236, 130863, 119509, and 120567 to include applicable incentive increases, retroactive to October 13, 2024; authorization to recalculate the promotional Base Wage, as necessary, for employees promoted to Battalion Chief / Assistant Fire Marshal during calendar year 2025 or 2026 retroactive to their date of promotion; approval and execution of Memorandum of Agreement between Orange County, Florida and the Orange County Fire Fighters Association, I.A.F.F., Local 2057; and authorization for the Human Resources Director to resolve implementation issues as necessary to ensure wages are administered in accordance with the intent of the Agreement between the County and Union. (Human Resources Division)
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PROJECT: N/A
PURPOSE: The Orange County Fire Fighters Association, I.A.F.F., Local 2057 (A-Unit) represents a bargaining unit comprised of all employees of the Orange County Fire Rescue Department in the job classifications of Firefighter, Engineer, Lieutenant, Captain, Paramedic, Dispatcher, Assistant Dispatcher Supervisor, Dispatcher Supervisor, Emergency Medical Technician, all levels of Fire Inspectors, and Fire Plans Examiners. Newly added to the bargaining unit are the Quality Assurance Specialist and Training Specialist positions located at Fire Recue. The County’s negotiation team and the I.A.F.F. have reached concurrence on a three-year Agreement, which covers the period of October 1, 2024 through September 30, 2027.
In addition to operational changes, the final negotiations grant all eligible bargaining unit employees wage increases as summarized in the paragraphs below and changes the duration of the Agreement to September 30, 2027. Additionally, consistent with the Impasse Resolution Hearing that was held before this Legislative Body on March 24, 2026, the Agreement grants the following:
1) Step Continuation: Upon expiration of the Agreement on September 30, 2027, bargaining unit employees shall continue to automatically advance one step in the pay plan every October for a minimum of a 5% wage increase, subject to step pay plan maximums as provided in the Agreement.
2) Leapfrog: Bargaining Unit members shall continue to enjoy the benefits of ensuring no employee within an existing pay grade (rank) shall be surpassed by a newly promoted employee with equal or less longevity if both employees are promoted from the same grade (rank) and held the same previously (ranks).
3) I.A.F.F. Local 2057 Insurance Trust: The County and the Union shall reach agreement by May 23, 2026, on contract language extracting the bargaining unit members from the County’s health insurance plans and creating a health care trust designed, implemented and managed by the Union for all active bargaining unit members.
For Fiscal Year 2024-25, effective October 13, 2024, the final negotiations grant all eligible bargaining unit employees covered under Article 40 of the Agreement who are employed under the Agreement as of the first full pay period after the date of Board approval of the Agreement, who have not previously received a Fiscal Year 2024-25 wage increase, a minimum of a 25% wage increase by being slotted in a newly established step pay plan, subject to the pay plan maximums. Dispatch employees covered under Article 53 shall be eligible for a 7% increase. The Agreement also includes newly added and increases to certain current incentives.
For Fiscal Year 2025-26, effective October 12, 2025, the final negotiations grant all eligible bargaining unit employees employed under the agreement a minimum of a 5% wage increase, subject to the pay plan maximums. Additionally, revisions to the Agreement includes increases to certain current incentives.
For Fiscal Year 2026-27, effective October 11, 2026, the final negotiations grant all eligible bargaining unit employees employed under this agreement a minimum of a 5% wage increase, subject to the pay plan maximums.
Additionally, while pending the adoption of the above referenced Agreement, a total of seven I.A.F.F. A-Unit employees have been transferred to positions not covered by this Agreement. Since this occurred during the lengthy negotiation process, these employees failed to receive pay increases prior to their transfer from the A-Unit for Fiscal Year 2024-25 and 2025-26, as applicable. To provide equity to these employees who are still on the County’s active payroll, retroactive annual increases for the cited years are necessary, to include all time spent within the I.A.F.F. A-Unit Agreement prior to their transfer, to include applicable incentive increases. Additionally, for the employees identified who were promoted into the position of Battalion Chief during calendar year 2025 or 2026, to ensure equity in the Battalion Chief bargaining unit, it will be necessary to recalculate their promotional base hourly wage, as necessary, retroactive to their date of promotion to Battalion Chief. The impacted employees are:
ID# 108683
ID# 130863
ID# 116501
ID# 119509
ID# 111540
ID# 120567
ID# 122236
All lump sum and retroactive portions of the wage and incentive increases, if any, will be paid as outlined in the bargaining unit Agreement. Implementation of the Agreement will be coordinated between Human Resources and the Comptroller’s Payroll Department following the approval by the Board. Considering the significant modifications to the pay plans and employee slotting requirements, Human Resources will address and resolve implementation issues as necessary to ensure wages are administered in accordance with the intent of the agreement.
BUDGET: N/A