After about three years of negotiations, the Festus firefighters union and the city have entered into a collective bargaining agreement, and both sides say it is working well.
In January 2023, Festus firefighters voted to join Professional Firefighters of Eastern Missouri, International Association of Firefighters – Local 2665, said Capt. Brian Schlichting, shop steward for the Festus firefighters. He said all six paid firefighters in the department at the time voted to unionize.
On Nov. 24, 2025, the City Council voted unanimously to approve the agreement that now allows firefighters with the rank of captain and below to be represented by Local 2665; the agreement runs from Dec. 1, 2025, to Nov. 30, 2028.
Festus Fire Chief Jeff Broombaugh said the firefighters started looking into a union in spring 2022, before he became chief of the department, adding that it took a few years to iron out all the details.
“We signed it last fall, and it went into effect Dec. 1, 2025. It’s doing great,” Schlichting said Jan. 13. “Everything is working exactly how we wanted. Local 2665 is in contact with us all the time to see if we need anything.”
He said the number of paid firefighters eligible to join the union now stands at 12, which includes three captains and nine firefighters. He said those who are eligible are not obligated to join the union.
Broombaugh and training officer Shannon Peters are not eligible to join the union because they are administrators.
“We are 100 percent union; all 12 eligible have joined,” Schlichting said. “They have a choice whether to join the union and have the right to collective bargaining and have all the accessories that our unit provides. We still help out the people who decide not to go union.”
He said Festus firefighters became interested in a union because of the growth in the city’s housing and population.
“We wanted to make sure that we had a voice in the fire service,” Schlichting said. “We wanted to make sure with the city growing so fast we weren’t going to be left behind, that we could have somebody to help us out in (collective bargaining).”
Broombaugh said the process to adopt the collective bargaining agreement was a positive one.
“It was a collaborative effort between myself, City Administrator Greg Camp, the shop steward and the assistant shop steward. Capt. Schlichting is the shop steward, and the assistant shop steward is Shane Reibold, a firefighter.
“It was a collaborative agreement between the city and (Local) 2665 – their leadership, and I feel we’ve come up with a pretty good plan that protects both the city and the employees. As our department grows, we have to put things in place. As we go along, there will be amendments to this collective bargaining agreement, but I would say we have a good, solid agreement.”
The collective bargaining agreement covers such matters as holidays, sick days, shift rotation and wages, although Schlichting said the negotiations led to better pay grade classifications.
The wage scale in the agreement runs from a minimum salary of $46,328.36 for the pay grade of FF1 to a maximum salary of $85,160.40 for the pay grade of FF5.
The scale also provides for two more pay grade positions that didn’t exist before the agreement –FF6 and FF7. If an FF7 pay grade comes about, the scale’s maximum salary would go to $91,605.61.
Broombaugh said the new work schedule outlined in the agreement provides a simpler way to determine overtime pay.
“We went to a 28-day cycle,” he said. “Anything over 212 hours in a 28-day pay cycle now is overtime for them.
“It had been paid differently. It was a complicated schedule for paying overtime. This is better for (firefighters) and administration.”
Schlichting agreed.
“We changed it to what we felt was a better pay schedule to receive overtime,” he said.
Paul Vessells, vice president of Local 2665, said the union can benefit its members in matters in addition to collective bargaining agreement negotiations.
“We also can assist with grant writing,” Vessells said. “We bring training opportunities to them.”
He said Local 2665 represents not only firefighters, but also emergency medical services personnel and dispatchers.
Vessells said the local now covers 16 first responder agencies in Jefferson County, including the De Soto, Festus and Herculaneum fire departments; as well as the Rock Community, Hillsboro, High Ridge, Cedar Hill, Antonia, Saline Valley and De Soto Rural fire protection districts; the Big River, Valle, Joachim-Plattin, Rock Township and North Jefferson ambulance districts and Jefferson County 911 Dispatch.
One of the reasons it took so long to complete the Festus Fire Department collective bargaining agreement was because in early 2022, former Chief Kevin Cremer died of COVID. Then, his replacement, Travis Wood, who took over in March 2022, was fired in August 2022. Broombaugh took over as chief on Dec. 5, 2022.
“I’d say it was not quite a normal time,” Vessells said. “Some of it was to not put too much pressure on the new chief. But, it was a good experience with the city.”