SAN ANTONIO – Mayor Ron Nirenberg is calling on the San Antonio Professional Firefighters Association to negotiate a deal with the city, more than three years after their previous agreement expired.

On Wednesday, the city attorney sent a formal request to meet with the firefighters’ union. The letter was the city’s ninth attempt to schedule negotiations with union representatives.

The issue is whether or not first responders should contribute to their own healthcare.

“The City has repeatedly invited union boss Chris Steele to the negotiating table to work out a new agreement and he has refused," said Nirenberg.

The union's collective bargaining agreement expired in September 2014. A 10-year evergreen clause is actively keeping the old agreement in place.

 “During the three and a half years without negotiations, firefighters have gone without a pay raise,’ said Nirenberg. “ If the union had negotiated a new contract with a 3 percent annual pay increase, as the union did in 2016, firefighters would have received an additional $6 million dollars in salaries annually.”

Nirenberg said city negotiators will be ready to meet with the union next week. Steele said the meeting can happen, but on one condition.

"We have told the City repeatedly, ‘you know how to get us to the table, drop the lawsuit and we’ll be there within seven days,’" said Steele.

The union president believes the two sides should enter arbitration, rather than entering mediation again.

"We know that if we get before individuals who are impartial, trained as judges, trained as dispute resolution experts we'll have our best shot," said Steele.

Mayor Nirenberg intends to move forward with or without union representatives next Tuesday at 10 a.m. Steele said the union will negotiate when the City dismisses their lawsuit.