It has taken a team effort for Mayor Lenny Curry’s pension referendum to make it this far.
City Council. The Legislature. Public safety unions.
Yes, even the public safety unions, the groups that at times in the past decade-plus have been at odds with city officials over how their pension plans should and shouldn’t be handled. The same groups that often have been the target of some prickly council member affronts, message board diatribes and not-so-flattering letters to the editor to various media outlets.
The police and fire unions are on board with the Aug. 30 referendum to extend a half-cent sales tax. They will continue to be until voters end up passing the plan. Then the relationship shifts from teammates to bargaining partners.
Until then, though, everyone is on the same page and mostly have been since Curry pitched their leadership the idea at the beginning of the year.
“I thought it was strong enough and an important enough issue that we do our fair share to push the issue,” said Randy Wyse, head of the Jacksonville Association of Firefighters.
There were some reservations about Curry’s initial pitch, though. It initially called for all new public safety officials to be placed into a defined contribution plan.
That wouldn’t have worked, said Wyse and Steve Zona, head of the local Fraternal Order of Police chapter. Not when the much-heralded first part of pension reform last year dictated future benefits would be collectively bargained.
It all got ironed out during the legislative process, when Curry and others — including pension officials — were busy selling the idea to state lawmakers.
Zona said he was in Tallahassee with his contingent selling the idea at least two days a week during the session. Wyse and his group were, too.
One of the more public displays of their efforts came by way of state Rep. Dwayne Taylor. The Daytona Beach representative is a former firefighter and pension board trustee for his area.
He didn’t like the plan initially and spoke against it, but later said publicly it was Wyse’s influence that helped him change his mind on Jacksonville’s pension issue. In all, Wyse and Zona said they spoke individually to 15-20 lawmakers, including some local, to sell the merits of the plan.
It also took a selling job back home.
The police union’s 3,200 members and fire union’s 1,200 members initially were hesitant about the idea of further tinkering with the plan.
Wyse made special videos explaining the situation and solution. Zona made appearances at roll calls to help educate and update his people on what was happening.
Both continue to do so, because they issue will need the support of the members, their friends, their families, anyone who can vote.
The local outreach will continue outside their own ranks, too. Wyse said he’s already met with the local International Longshoremen’s Association and area Democrat Executive Committee to garner pension support. Other meetings with trade organizations are in the works.
In the coming weeks, expect to see police and fire members visibly furthering the cause heading to the Aug. 30 vote. Knocking on doors, waving signs and other activities normally associated with political campaigns.
After all, it is a political campaign. And the union members have never shied away from a good campaign.
Wyse and Zona said they’ve committed to work with the Yes for Jacksonville group spearheading the sales-tax ballot initiative. It’s being led by former sheriff and current Edward Waters President Nat Glover and longtime political consultant Susie Wiles.
“Whatever we can do,” said Wyse of the effort with the group.
It’s teamwork now. The dynamic changes, however, the minute the results are in if voters pass the extension. The clock would start ticking on the collective bargaining session between city officials and the unions.
The plan requires current employees raise their contribution levels of their paychecks from 8 percent to 10 percent.
It will all have to be part of the bigger plan, said Wyse, one that is mutually agreed upon — a key phrase moving forward.
Without mutually agreeing on the plans moving forward, there is no pension reform.
Both Zona and Wyse said they’ll be pushing for the best plans for their members. That doesn’t necessarily mean it will be adversarial. It does mean they expect some give and take.
But that’s a conversation that will come another day. Sometime after Aug. 30. Until then, everyone’s on the same team.
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