By Joseph Bustos
The Daily Gazette
STERLING, Ill. — After months of rancor and weeks of negotiations, the city and the firefighters union came to an agreement Tuesday that brings back all six laid-off firefighters and reopens the Lynn Boulevard substation.
The agreement between the City Council and Local 2301 of the International Association of Firefighters doesn’t prevent the city from laying off firefighters in the next fiscal year, which begins in May.
If a property tax levy increase isn’t approved by the rural protection board, the layoffs could be reinstated.
The city and the 18-member union agreed to publicly support an increase in the rural property tax levy for fire protection from 12 cents to 28 cents per $100 of equalized assessed valuation.
The tax, which would apply only to those living in the rural fire district, could raise up to $230,000 a year for the city, which would use the money for the fire department and firefighter pensions.
If the board approves the increase, the owner of a $100,000 house would pay $53 more a year in property taxes.
The agreement included concessions by the firefighters. They will work 5 hours for free during each 2-week pay period and pay more for health insurance.
During those hours of “free work,” the firefighters will be in the stations, but won’t perform any regular duties such as commercial inspections or equipment maintenance. They will respond to emergencies.
Now that the firefighters have agreed to furloughs, other city workers will be subject to them as well. The details are still being worked out, City Manager Scott Shumard said.
In May, the unpaid hours will drop to 4 every 2 weeks.
Firefighters’ health insurance premiums also will go up $15 to $20 a month.
Other city employees could see similar changes to their health insurance, Shumard said.
With the agreement in place, arbitration proceedings will end and the union will drop its grievance against the city.
“The biggest relief I have is now we can get back to work and protect the public,” union President Matt Laughlin said. “That’s what we like to do. Firefighters are going to get back to work and support their families.”
The union agreed to hold off on its next 3 percent raise until April 30, 2011. The raise was to take effect a year earlier.
In all likelihood, the freeze also will apply to the rest of the city employees, but the police officers union contract negotiations have yet to begin, Shumard said.
“It opens the doors to what we can do across the city and what we can do entering police negotiations,” Shumard said. “The implications go far beyond the fire department.”
A joint committee of city officials and firefighters will discuss how to add EMT and other services at the department.
Both sides also agreed to apply for federal stimulus grants to help pay firefighters’ salaries.
Firefighters also agreed to help the city’s Building and Zoning Department by doing inspections for the city’s proposed rental unit inspection program, which is still under legal review.
How the 18 firefighters voted Tuesday afternoon is secret; the City Council voted 6-0 at its meeting Tuesday evning, with Alderman Barry Cox abstaining. Cox has said he is opposed to raises for any city employee this year.
“I’m very happy we have a solution to the budget,” Shumard said.
“The revenues to the city continue to fall, we’ve got big fiscal issues we have to continue to take on, development issues going on in the community. ... I look forward to being able to concentrate my efforts elsewhere.”
Copyright 2009