MAYOR HOUSTON REACHES RESOLUTION WITH FIREFIGHTERS UNION

Hundreds of thousands of dollars to be saved by the City

for more information:
Ernie Slottag 789-2235

Mayor J. Michael Houston has announced that an agreement has been reached with the International Association of Fire Fighters Union Local 37 which will resolve a dispute over minimum staffing and settle several related issues. A decision to move this agreement forward now rests with the Springfield City Council.

During the previous fiscal year, minimum staffing at the fire department was reduced from 49 to 46. That effectively removed one truck from the rotation of those available on a daily basis to respond to emergencies. The union filed a grievance which required mandatory arbitration. Following hearings, an arbitrator failed to resolve the issue because of what was said to be inconsistencies in contract language. Instead, the City and union were ordered to resolve the issue themselves within 60 days.

Following significant negotiations an agreement was reached which resolves the staffing issue by removing any ambiguity in the contract, and it resolves any possible back pay or damages resulting from the City’s use of 46 for the minimum staffing level for the Fire Department since last March. The agreement also extends the existing contract for a period of two years to February 28, 2015.

"This is clearly a win-win situation for the City," said Mayor Houston. "We have managed to agree to terms that will return our Fire Department to full strength. And, we have established the framework that can prevent this kind of a dispute in the future."

The agreement calls for a return to a minimum staffing standard of 49 personnel except when a defined standard for sick time is not met. It also offered a 0% raise during the first of those years, and a 4% salary increase during the second year of the extension. This is less than the 4% per year they have receive in the past, and lower than the present CPI of 2.3% which has been utilized in negotiating contacts with other City bargaining units.

By utilizing the sick time performance standard so as to meet the minimum staffing level at regular pay or a reduction in staffing, the City is not mandated to pay so much in overtime. This is projected to save the City approximately $750,000 annually.

The agreement also provides for a waiver of any possible back pay and damages that might be claimed for the City's use of 46 firefighters, rather than 49. That claim could cost the City approximately $850,000 for the current fiscal year which ends February 29th, and would have a substantial negative impact on next year's budget.

"The firefighters union has already approved the contract extension," Mayor Houston added. "Now it is up to the City Council to give its approval of this agreement, which will clarify staffing and provide stability for firefighters."

"Should the Council decide against approving the agreement the City would no longer have any further input into the decision of the arbitrator. If that occurs, it is possible that the arbitrator would decide that the City must maintain minimum staffing of 49 through the term of the agreement."

Firefighters are routinely hired back on overtime to fill open positions. During the last fiscal year which ended on February 28, 2011, the City incurred overtime costs of $1.8 million. During the current fiscal year, using minimum staffing of 46 has resulted in an approximate saving of $575,000 as of January 6, 2012.

"This amendment strikes an excellent balance in recognizing that the overuse of sick time makes it difficult to maintain the minimum staffing without hiring back firefighters at an overtime rate," Houston concluded. "Failure to ratify this extension of the contract will mean that the City faces a large and unpredictable  outcome, a gamble that I think the City should not take. It is my hope that the City Council will recognize the benefits of the extension and approve it, but at the very least it needs to have a public discussion of the extension and vote on it."

The ordinance authorizing the extension of the Firefighters contract is to be introduced at Tuesday evening's City Council meeting. That would allow for public discussion at the next Committee of the Whole meeting on Tuesday, January 17th.