Irving voters will vote on a proposal that would give the city’s firefighters more say in their contracts.

Tuesday’s vote in Irving will focus on Proposition A, which calls for local adoption of the state’s 1993 law. Firefighter and Police Relations Act allowing collective bargaining.

“This gives us a seat at the table with city leadership so we can advocate on behalf of members and the audience, for increased safety standards to improve working conditions and for certain members of the professional development staff,” said Brian Becker, president of the Irving Professional Firefighters Association.

The law has been implemented in more than 30 cities across the state, including Fort Worth, Houston, San Antonio and El Paso. The Irving Fire Department is asking for this to be implemented locally.

Becker said the term “collective bargaining” can be confusing to voters.

He said both sides — the fire department and the city — would come together and discuss topics such as terms of employment, working conditions, personnel, pay, discipline and “basically anything that affects our lives and which ultimately affects the lives of citizens,” he said. . Firefighters would still be prohibited from striking.

If Proposition A passes, Becker said all town meetings with representatives from his association and the town would be public for the sake of transparency and accountability. In the cities he spoke with, no taxes were increased as a result of the policy, he said.

In April, community members and a representative from the firefighters’ association requested a petition from the city manager’s office to begin the process of getting the law passed on the Nov. 5 ballot. The Irving City Council accepted the petition with signatures in June. KERA contacted the city for this story.

One of the challenges the fire department faces is the arrival of new managers and municipal leaders every two years. Becker and others hope that if Prop A passes, it will help them capture some of the progress they’ve made and move forward, rather than starting all over again.

If Prop A fails, Becker said the fire department will continue to provide quality service.

“At the end of the day, elected and appointed officials come and go, and firefighters, we will always be here,” he said. “Next year, firefighters will be in Irving for 100 years, and we will be here for another 100 years. »

He said there are more than 400 firefighters in the Irving Fire Department, almost all of whom are part of the association, Becker said. He said MPs would go to the polls on Tuesday wearing their yellow shirts.

Priscilla Rice is KERA’s communities reporter. Do you have any advice? Send him an email to [email protected].

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