By Bernard Harris
The Intelligencer Journal/New Era
LANCASTER, Pa. — Lancaster Mayor Rick Gray made a counteroffer to the city’s firefighters’ union in their ongoing contract dispute, but the union leadership rejected his offer Wednesday.
Lancaster’s unionized firefighters had offered to freeze their wages for the coming year in exchange for no layoffs. That was a step in the right direction, Gray said Wednesday.
“We think it just doesn’t go far enough,” he said.
Gray said the proposal made last month by Lancaster Professional Firefighter’s Association, Local 319 of the International Association of Firefighters, addressed the economic issue facing the city but failed to address the city’s desire to more effectively manage the bureau.
Gray’s counterproposal calls for:
- Adoption of a 24-hours on-duty/48-hours off-duty schedule used at fire departments elsewhere but opposed by the local union.
- Allowing the city to hire part-time firefighters that could supplement the bureau’s 74 union firefighters. Use of part-timers would save the city overtime and benefits costs.
- Acceptance of a city policy to prevent the abuse of sick leave. The policy, in effect for other city employees, would require proof of illness, such as a doctor’s note, after a pattern has been detected, such as an employee frequently calling in sick on Mondays.
- Acceptance of contract language to allow volunteers from suburban fire companies to be used at fire scenes. The requirement now is that all off-duty firefighters must be called before volunteers can assist. Under an arbiters’ ruling, if volunteers are used, all union firefighters must be paid for 4.5 hours of overtime.
- Prohibiting the renewal of the “no layoff” clause beyond 2012.
Firefighters’ union President Tim Erb said Wednesday night that none of Gray’s conditions was acceptable.
After discussion at a Wednesday night board meeting, Erb said it was decided the union would deny Gray’s counteroffer.
“Basically, everything they attached kind of worked on us,” Erb said.
“We presented them with a clean proposal, and they came back with a complete change of working conditions,” he said.
The mayor contended Wednesday that his conditions directly addressed a statement from Erb that the union was not concerned about money, but rather it wanted to be “appropriately poised to respond to fires and save lives.”
Gray maintained the conditions attached to his counter-proposal are intended to help ensure safe staffing levels.
“Remember, this is conditioned on us not laying any firefighters off,” Gray said.
The adoption of the 24/48 schedule, for example, would allow for a greater number of firefighters on three platoons rather than spread among four, the mayor said.
The hiring of part-timers, which is being done by many surrounding fire companies, would allow the city to fill gaps caused by sick leave absences or vacations, Gray said.
And the sick leave policy also might result in more firefighters being on duty, the mayor said.
Under the current contract, firefighters get 21 sick days a year.
“I’m not saying that everyone abuses it by any stretch of the imagination, but I’m saying it’s very difficult for us to manage without some sort of policy,” Gray said.
Lancaster city taxpayers spend nearly $10 million annually on fire protection, Gray said.
He contended taxpayers have a “reasonable expectation that these dollars be used in the most effective, efficient and productive way possible and with the highest regard for public safety.”
The offer and counteroffer are the latest developments in the dispute between the mayor and firefighters that has festered since four firefighters were laid off two years ago.
The two sides will go to negotiations on a new contract — the first since the layoffs.
Erb said those negotiations could begin as early as next month.
Copyright 2011 Lancaster Newspapers, Inc.