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Working without a contract for twenty-nine months, and up against a $5 billion budget deficit faced by New York City, the firefighters' union officers are recommending that the membership accept a tentative agreement on a contract including a raise that the union freely admits is far less than firefighters deserve, but is the most they are likely to get. Under the terms of the contract proposal---which covers the period from July 2000 to July 2001, and will be applied retroactively---members of the FDNY will get the same 11.75 percent raise that members of the NYPD agreed to earlier this year (see WIT's for Sep. 5, 6, and 11, 2002), bringing starting salaries for the city's bravest to $35,000, and top salaries to $54,000. The firefighters and their union representatives turned down a tentative agreement on a ten percent raise over thirty months after the 9/11 terrorist attacks drove home the dangers of their job (see WIT's for June 12, and Aug 16, 2002), and last month rejected an 11.75 percent raise over 30 months, but were unable to negotiate a higher raise than the Patrolmen.