Holland firefighters decline pay raise

The Holland firefighters voluntarily have decided to refuse a 1 percent cost-of-living increase they will be due July 1. Instead, they will give back another half-percent of their pay.

The move is not part of any negotiation, said Brendt Sheridan, president of the Holland Professional Firefighters Union. The department just wants to help the city with its budget and prevent any cuts to the number of firefighters on the job.

The fire department already is at bare bones, said Sheridan, adding that any more staffing cuts directly will impact citizen and firefighter safety.

The city and the union are in a three-year contract that expires June 30, 2010. The department's staffing level has not had a net increase in more than 35 years. It receives about 3,000 calls per year.