It’s about 10 pm on November 6th, 2018 and the final Proposition B votes are being collected from around the city. Prop B was a ballot measure created by the Fire Union that would give firefighters equal pay with police officers of corresponding rank and years of service.That night, Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner remained vocally steadfast in his stance that if Prop B passed, there would be hundreds of layoffs of firefighters and police officers and a reduction of services. He likened the pay parity initiative to a storm, saying “when you see a storm coming, you have to begin to make preparations.” For the Fire Union and its president Marty Lancton, this night was decades in the making but the last few years had been particularly eventful, more so than ever before. Pension reform that drastically reduced the retirements of firefighters, consistently stalled contract negotiations, years of Prop B legal battles, an acrid relationship with city leaders, all on top of unacceptable fleet and station conditions had left the rank and file of the fire department beaten and tired. Morale was fading fast. So, the passage of Prop B would not only be a remarkable legal victory for firefighters, but it would also be a momentous morale boost.  By almost 11 pm, the majority of votes had been counted and the outcome had become clear…So, would voters side with Turner and vote against Prop B for fear that it would bankrupt the city and comprise public safety, or were they certain that pay parity was within the city’s financial means and vote to give firefighters the raise they had gone without for the last eight years?  And, more than that, if Prop B did pass, would Turner honor the will of the voters and fully implement Prop B immediately or would he continue to fight it by taking legal action against it? And would he actually layoff hundreds of firefighter if it passed?And if it didn’t pass, what would Lancton and the Fire Union have prepared and how would that affect their strength in further negotiations as they continued to work without a contract?---Don't forget to leave us a rating and a review! Also, make sure to hit that subscribe button to stay up to date on the story as we add more episodes!Twitter: @TTFHoustonFacebook: @ThroughTheFirePodcast fb.me/ThroughTheFirePodcastEmail: ThroughTheFirePodcast@gmail.comSource Credits:ABC News, NBC News, Fox News, Fox Business, CNN, AP Archive, New York Times, KHOU, KPRC, KTRK, KRIV, KRBE, HTV Houston Television, NPR Houston, Houston Chronicle, Houston Post, Houston Press, Texas Monthly, WPRI, SylvesterTurner.com 

Episode Five: A Storm Is Coming

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