Abilene fire fighters have successfully run a petition drive to get onto the November 2026 ballot an effort to make Abilene more like the dysfunctional cities we see across the country where labor unions and the union collective bargaining apparatus exercises control over fire fighter pay and other work related rules.
The effort, if successful, removes the fundamental right of citizens to manage city rules and expenses, in this case fire protection, through their elected representatives. In summary, it takes away the ability of voters to run their own local government.
Let’s dispel a myth believed by a large number of people: The Abilene Professional Fire Fighters Association is just a local association, it is not a labor union. The APFFA is a labor union, it is “Local 1044” of the International Association of Fire Fighters which is unabashedly a labor union. It’s opening statement on its website is: “The IAFF is one of the largest and most influential labor unions in North America.”
As Fox West Texas put it in July: “The petition [successfully submitted by the local fire fighters union] asks [Abilene] voters to adopt a different legal process for negotiations, moving from the current “Meet and Confer” system under Chapter 143 of the Texas Local Government Code to “Collective Bargaining” and “Binding Arbitration” under Chapter 174.”
The effort, if successful, removes the fundamental right of citizens to manage city rules and expenses… In summary, it takes away the ability of voters to run their own local government.
Currently, voters in Abilene elect representatives to a city council which then manages the affairs of the people including setting pay and work rules for police, fire fighters, and other municipal employees.
The city council operates under a “meet and confer” system with fire fighters which means that the city must communicate directly with the fire fighters’ union to discuss claims, attempt to resolve disputes, and set things like pay. This forces the Abilene city government to give fire fighters a full hearing about issues such as pay, but it does not allow the labor union and its members to dictate to Abilene citizens such things as what firemen want to be paid and work rules they desire.
Abilene is ultimately governed by its citizens through their elected representatives. If the people do not agree, through their city council members, to meet some demand of the fire fighters union then, the city manages fire fighter pay, etc. through the normal budgeting process the same way it is handled for everyone else.
Abilene’s city manager, Emily Crawford, was correct when she told KRBC: “Under collective bargaining, if an agreement is not reached, then there is that outside determination. The association [union] can seek enforcement through arbitration or a state court. The arbitration and the judge’s decision are binding, and it must be followed by both the association and the city.”
And, elected city councilman Shane Price rightly said at a council meeting that, under the scheme of collective bargaining and binding arbitration being pushed by the union, voters have no say in who the arbitrator is and cannot replace the arbitrator.
That creates a situation where an outsider can essentially set the spending for the city which, in turn, means an outsider can, albeit indirectly, raise your taxes. And all done with no ability of voters to have a say, no redress. It is a ridiculous position for citizens to put themselves in and is, in my opinion, distinctly un-American. It is voting for government rule directly into your pocketbooks without representation.
[Passing Propositions A and B]… creates a situation where an outsider can essentially set the spending for the city which, in turn, means an outsider can, albeit indirectly, raise your taxes. And all done with no ability of voters to have a say, no redress.
The union claims that collective bargaining and binding arbitration is “fair” and “balanced” even though such removes the right of citizens to set policy through voting. I don’t call that fair (fair for whom?) nor is it balanced as it moves power over spending to within the union and whatever arbitrator it gets. That arbitrator will be spending the money of local voters with no downside for him or her to give in to every union demand that comes along.
Abilene voters can still appreciate, compensate, and honor their fire fighters, who are being well paid or they’d be leaving in big numbers as other cities recruit them, and vote to keep the existing meet and confer system.
Under the current system, if fireman pay becomes a legitimate problem in Abilene voters can insist their city council representatives fix it. And conversely, if the council members don’t fix it, voters can turn them out of office at the ballot box.
If the fire fighter union’s system is adopted, voters lose all say in the matter.
Originally published in the August 2026 edition of the Buffalo Gap Round-Up News.
Abilene: Beware those who try to rob you of self government
The effort, if successful, removes the fundamental right of citizens to manage city rules and expenses, in this case fire protection, through their elected representatives. In summary, it takes away the ability of voters to run their own local government.
Let’s dispel a myth believed by a large number of people: The Abilene Professional Fire Fighters Association is just a local association, it is not a labor union. The APFFA is a labor union, it is “Local 1044” of the International Association of Fire Fighters which is unabashedly a labor union. It’s opening statement on its website is: “The IAFF is one of the largest and most influential labor unions in North America.”
As Fox West Texas put it in July: “The petition [successfully submitted by the local fire fighters union] asks [Abilene] voters to adopt a different legal process for negotiations, moving from the current “Meet and Confer” system under Chapter 143 of the Texas Local Government Code to “Collective Bargaining” and “Binding Arbitration” under Chapter 174.”
The effort, if successful, removes the fundamental right of citizens to manage city rules and expenses… In summary, it takes away the ability of voters to run their own local government.
The city council operates under a “meet and confer” system with fire fighters which means that the city must communicate directly with the fire fighters’ union to discuss claims, attempt to resolve disputes, and set things like pay. This forces the Abilene city government to give fire fighters a full hearing about issues such as pay, but it does not allow the labor union and its members to dictate to Abilene citizens such things as what firemen want to be paid and work rules they desire.
Abilene is ultimately governed by its citizens through their elected representatives. If the people do not agree, through their city council members, to meet some demand of the fire fighters union then, the city manages fire fighter pay, etc. through the normal budgeting process the same way it is handled for everyone else.
Abilene’s city manager, Emily Crawford, was correct when she told KRBC: “Under collective bargaining, if an agreement is not reached, then there is that outside determination. The association [union] can seek enforcement through arbitration or a state court. The arbitration and the judge’s decision are binding, and it must be followed by both the association and the city.”
And, elected city councilman Shane Price rightly said at a council meeting that, under the scheme of collective bargaining and binding arbitration being pushed by the union, voters have no say in who the arbitrator is and cannot replace the arbitrator.
That creates a situation where an outsider can essentially set the spending for the city which, in turn, means an outsider can, albeit indirectly, raise your taxes. And all done with no ability of voters to have a say, no redress. It is a ridiculous position for citizens to put themselves in and is, in my opinion, distinctly un-American. It is voting for government rule directly into your pocketbooks without representation.
[Passing Propositions A and B]… creates a situation where an outsider can essentially set the spending for the city which, in turn, means an outsider can, albeit indirectly, raise your taxes. And all done with no ability of voters to have a say, no redress.
The union claims that collective bargaining and binding arbitration is “fair” and “balanced” even though such removes the right of citizens to set policy through voting. I don’t call that fair (fair for whom?) nor is it balanced as it moves power over spending to within the union and whatever arbitrator it gets. That arbitrator will be spending the money of local voters with no downside for him or her to give in to every union demand that comes along.
Abilene voters can still appreciate, compensate, and honor their fire fighters, who are being well paid or they’d be leaving in big numbers as other cities recruit them, and vote to keep the existing meet and confer system.
Under the current system, if fireman pay becomes a legitimate problem in Abilene voters can insist their city council representatives fix it. And conversely, if the council members don’t fix it, voters can turn them out of office at the ballot box.
If the fire fighter union’s system is adopted, voters lose all say in the matter.
Originally published in the August 2026 edition of the Buffalo Gap Round-Up News.