By Joshua Huff, sports editor
BIRMINGHAM — The Birmingham City Council unanimously voted on Tuesday morning to grant city employees hazard and overtime pay as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.
The council voted to appropriate $500,000 for hazard and overtime pay for city employees working throughout the crisis. The council has not released how much the increase will be for employees. The pay increase will impact 1,978 employees throughout the city.
“As a Council we have an obligation to make sure the City’s business can continue despite the public health crisis,” President William Parker said. “We are committed to doing whatever we can to help our first responders and workers who are on the front lines of this public health crisis.”
This follows the Springville City Council unanimously approving on Monday to grant a one-step 5% pay increase for firefighters and police officers.
The pay increase is effective immediately. It does not impact the current pay scale and new employees will not receive the raise. A new hire will start their employment as if the pay raise had not been implemented.
“None of use realize what our first responders are already going through,” Springville City Council member Wayne Tucker, of District 3, said. “There are some first responders, not in this city but in this county, that are in quarantine for their calls. I think it would do their hearts good.”