By Deana Stroisch
The State Journal- Register
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — A federal arbitrator has ruled that the city of Springfield must have at least 49 firefighters on duty every day.
The decision, in which arbitrator Dennis Maloney found in favor of the Springfield firefighters union and against Mayor Mike Houston’s administration, would return the minimum manning level to 49 from the current 46.
The decision will mean a fire truck that was shut down because of the lower manning standard will go back in operation, the union’s president said.
It also ends a 10-month long dispute over the fire department’s minimum manning requirements.
Tony Burton, president of International Association of Fire Fighters Local 37, said the union’s goal since March has been to see manning levels return to 49 firefighters.
“It’s a safety issue,” he said. “I believe it’s a win for the public and for the firefighters.”
Impact not clear
It’s unclear how the decision will affect the city financially. Houston said he couldn’t comment on the arbitrator’s decision because the city has not received the ruling.
Under the administration of Mayor Frank Edwards, the minimum number of firefighters required to be on duty was reduced from 49 to 46 in order to cut spending.
The arbitrator originally encouraged both sides to settle the matter themselves. Maloney gave the union and city until Jan. 1 to do so, Burton said.
A tentative agreement was reached under which the manning requirement was to return to 49 in exchange for the union dropping a claim for up to $850,000 in back pay. The administration attempted to schedule the settlement for council debate at a meeting Dec. 20, but a motion to do so failed for a lack of a second.
News of the arbitrator’s decision came as aldermen met in committee Tuesday to discuss the settlement proposal.
Negotiating strategy
At the suggestion of Ward 8 Ald. Kris Theilen, aldermen voted 9-1 to put the proposed settlement on next week’s debate agenda, but with a “do not approve” recommendation. Ward 5 Ald. Sam Cahnman was the lone “no” vote.
Theilen said the proposed settlement “could have weakened our position.”
“I just feel that negotiating in public is something that we should never do when dealing with our city unions,” he said. “It’s not fair to them. It’s not fair to us. It’s not fair to the taxpayers. Nobody wins.”
After the meeting, Burton said the arbitrator’s ruling makes the settlement moot anyway.
“We expect to live by the ruling, since the sides couldn’t get together and agree with (the settlement),” he said.
In other business, aldermen gave initial approval to selling the former Lincoln Library North Branch, 719 North Grand Ave. E., to Goodenow Insurance Agency for $1. The sale was placed on next week’s debate agenda.
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