By Craig Fox
Watertown Daily Times
WATERTOWN, N.Y. — In the latest volley involving a two-year contract dispute, the city and the firefighters’ union are squabbling over whether firefighters were forced to work on a new community garden located behind the South Massey Street fire station.
The Watertown Professional Fire Fighters Association Local 191 filed an improper practice charge with the state Public Employees Relation Board against the city, claiming firefighters were told by the city that they must work on the vegetable garden behind the city’s Emma Flower Taylor Fire Station.
President Daniel Daugherty said the union objected to performing the garden work because it was on behalf of the private drug treatment center.
A group of people involved in the Alliance for Better Communities and its lead agency, Pivot Prevention Services, were involved in organizing the project this spring.
Councilman Stephen A. Jennings is now urging the firefighters’ union to withdraw the improper practice charge, contending that the garden was created for the good of the community and put together solely by volunteers.
“It’s just outrageous,” said Councilman Jennings, who chairs the grassroots community coalition. “I think they’re taking every opportunity to discredit the city in the regard of the contract dispute.”
The union claimed that the work included applying yard fabric and topsoil, removing weeds, watering the garden and planting vegetables.
“These tasks are substantially outside the scope of the firefighters’ job description. The performance of this gardening work is not within the inherent nature of the firefighters work,” the union claimed.
But Fire Chief Dale C. Herman said that the fire department is responsible for maintaining the fire station’s lawn. He instructed firefighters to make repairs to some excess fabric that protruded from the garden and into fire station lawn.
“It would have taken 20 minutes,” Chief Herman said.
On the instructions of Chief Herman, a battalion chief verbally told firefighters they had to work on the garden. In response, firefighters asked for a written order, Mr. Daugherty said.
The squabble over the garden began shortly after the City Council decided in June to demote eight captains to firefighters, so Chief Herman said he believes it has to do with contract negotiations not going well.
“I think each side is nipping at its heels to get the other side to blink,” he said.
The community garden was the brainchild of South Massey Street resident and Alliance member Paul L. Ward. Before work began on June 6, it got the blessing from the City Council, Chief Herman and other city officials.
Calling it “petty,” Councilman Jennings said the improper practice charge is a waste of taxpayer money.
“The garden concept was initiated by one of our members in recovery, wanting to give back, contribute, and improve his neighborhood and community,” Councilman Jennings wrote in a press release. “It was unanimously supported by coalition members and has been a phenomenal success.”
While members of the union opposed being forced to work against their will, Mr. Daugherty said he told the Alliance that union members are willing get involved in the project as volunteers.
The union filed for arbitration on the demotions of the eight captains. The bargaining unit has been without a contract since July 2014.
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(c)2016 Watertown Daily Times (Watertown, N.Y.)