In Montgomery County Maryland, firefighters agreed to give up a planned 4% cost-of-living raise in order to do their part to help tackle the county's $550 million budget deficit. The firefighters union had originally only agreed to defer the raises, but County Executive Isiah Leggett worried the deferral was inconsistent with deals made with other unions. The county's teachers and police officers had already given up raises altogether. Incidentally, county officials will also forgo raises.
See "Union Agrees to Forgo Cost-of-Living Raise", Ann E. Marimow, The Washington Post, May 5, 2009