Firefighters union, Las Vegas reach impasse in talks

For the third time in as many years, the city of Las Vegas and its firefighters union are at odds over labor negotiations, but neither side is talking much about the dispute.

On Thursday, city officials confirmed they reached an impasse with International Association of Firefighters Local 1285, the group that represents city firefighters. A union official did not return a call seeking comment.

City officials are scheduled to deliver a report on the impasse during a City Council meeting Tuesday.

The council recently approved a tentative general fund budget of about $469 million for the upcoming year, with about $111 million budgeted for the Fire Department. Current talks are for a new, two-year labor agreement between the city and about 600 firefighters.

In May 2011, the two sides declared an impasse while attempting to negotiate changes to an existing labor contract.

In that dispute the city sought changes that would save about $6 million and settled four months later for a plan that saved $4 million.

Another impasse happened in May, 2010 when the city and firefighters were attempting to negotiate a two-year labor agreement. They agreed to a deal the council approved in July 2010 that included $6.5 million in savings in part by reducing, but not eliminating, pay increases.