VIDEO: The Cincinnati City Council passed two motions on Wednesday with the intention of improving pay and job benefits for firefighters. The first motion, which the council approved unanimously, has to do with compensation for firefighters receiving treatment for job-related illnesses.
The motion aims to create a new job leave benefit, which means firefighters with occupational illnesses like cancer won’t have to use paid time off for appointments following a diagnosis. Cincinnati Fire Fighters Union Local 48 President Joe Elliot said earlier this month that several members of the fire department are fighting cancer that they believe developed as a result of their work in the fire department, and the city had been fighting against compensation for things like paid time off for treatment. “It’s not just cancer, it’s also cardiovascular and lung ailments as well,” said Melissa Arnold, first vice president of the fire union. “We spent probably nine months in 2024 working out these issues in our collective bargaining agreement.”
