Rewarding good work, and recruiting and retaining great employees is key, Mayor Jane Castor says
City of Tampa leaders and employees will gather Friday to celebrate the signing of historic employment contracts with the city’s three unions.
The three-year contract agreements with the Amalgamated Transit Union, Police Benevolent Association, and Tampa Firefighters Local 754 each include a 9.5 percent salary increase in the first year, and 4.5 percent increases in years two and three. Those unions represent more than three-quarters of the City of Tampa’s 4,500 employees.
“Transforming Tampa’s Tomorrow and continuing to provide residents with first-rate service requires recruiting and retaining outstanding city employees in a very competitive marketplace,” said Mayor Jane Castor. “This administration and Tampa City Council stand behind the men and women who serve our residents so well, particularly after they remained on the front lines during the pandemic and today face some of the nation’s toughest inflation pressures.”
Prior union contracts were not completed until months after the city budget was approved, but the city and union leaders this year set and achieved a goal to complete the work sooner so it could be considered as part of the next budget.
In another departure from the past, Mayor Castor asked all department heads to participate in the contract negotiations alongside Human Resources Department officials to build stronger relationships and ensure the contracts incorporated better-governing processes.