APOPKA, Fla. — Apopka Professional Firefighters Association Local 5293 members met Monday morning with the Apopka fire chief for contract negotiations. Among the demands were higher wages and amending their current pension program.
It was a full room as the contract negotiations got underway between the union and Apopka Fire Chief Wil Sanchez.
“We asked to increase our pay to be competitive and in line with the surrounding departments. And also, the other major ask for us was our pension improvement because our PD (police department) has a different pension than what we currently have. So, all we asked is to be in line with them,” Union President Kyle Lampp said.
Union members said they hope to see changes, as the department has seen an increase in demand in recent years.
According to the U.S. Census, the city has experienced rapid growth, with its population increasing by more than 22% since 2020. It reached approximately 66,000 residents.
“We’re the second-largest city in Orange County, and we cover a lot of area. And we believe that we should be compensated for the amount of work that we put in, as well as the benefits that we provide to our society,” Lampp said.
In terms of wages, the union proposal included a $12,000 bump to the current minimum and maximum salaries, saying that is needed to remain competitive in the market.
If the changes go into effect, the minimum firefighter/emergency medical technician annual salary would increase to $66,063, with the maximum at $102,818.
The union also requested a 4% multiplier for pensions, which would provide members a monthly plan benefit for life after they complete 20 years of credited service, or at age 45 and 10 years of credited service.
“I was truly impressed. Our local did a phenomenal job of putting together a well-rounded package that not only provides the support that we need for our membership currently here and those that we’d be bringing on forward,” Sanchez said.
He added that the demands presented by the union represent a good package that will also help the department with recruitment and employee retention.
“Currently, we’re probably toward the lower-middle area as far as in the competitiveness for our wages in comparison to the surrounding fire departments,” Sanchez said. “This proposal that they’re seeking to move forward actually brings us toward a higher end of that. So it definitely will help us attract new talent.”
The agreement also requested three additional holidays: International Firefighters Day, observed on May 4; Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve.
According to the discussion, if approved, these changes would go into effect at the beginning of the first pay period after Oct. 1, 2026 or upon the ratification of the agreement.
The next step in the process is for the Apopka fire chief to get the proposal reviewed by the department’s bargaining team for a cost analysis. Then the contract would come back to the negotiation table for union members to decide on it. Once a final agreement is in place, it will be presented to elected officials for final approval.