By Clinton Thomas
The St. Joseph News-Press
ST. JOSEPH, Mo. — Local firefighters and city staff have doused the contract issue that produced heated discussions between the two groups for more than a year.
The City Council reportedly reached a consensus on a contract between the city and International Association of Fire Fighters Local No. 77 on Thursday, behind closed doors at City Hall.
Council members cannot discuss the content of closed meetings.
A memo from Fire Chief Mike Dalsing dated Sept. 7 said negotiations had stalled when the union requested to add a single sentence into the contract: “All rights of management shall be subject to the terms of this contract.” In the memo, Mr. Dalsing wrote that the language would “render meaningless the Fire Chief’s ability to manage his department.”
Mr. Dalsing and Local 77 President Travis Owens confirmed that the council included the sentence in the new contract.
“If everybody has something in the agreement they’re not happy about, it’s probably a fair agreement,” Mr. Dalsing said.
According to Mr. Owens, the public will benefit from provisions that allow the department to carry more medical equipment on trucks. Also, firefighters receive a small amount of pay for EMT duties.
Local 77 negotiated for a three-year contract, contrasting with the five-year deal the Fraternal Order of Police signed with the city earlier this year.
“A lot can change in three years and even more can change in five,” Mr. Owens said.
The contract will not become official until the council adopts it via city ordinance at an upcoming meeting.
The City Council had postponed a vote on a contract with International Association of Fire Fighters Local No. 77 three times.
An ordinance to adopt the contract originally came before the council in April, but union members asked the council to postpone a vote because negotiations were not complete.
The scene repeated itself June 29 when Mayor Bill Falkner told the council he received requests to postpone an ordinance that was scheduled to come up for a vote during the night’s meeting.
Mr. Falkner expressed frustration when the ordinance again came up for a vote Aug. 23 and negotiations still were not complete.
The council decided that night to postpone the ordinance until the Sept. 20 meeting.
Parties from both sides of the negotiations told the council it may have to decide the final issues, as the two sides had reached an impasse.
Clinton Thomas can be reached
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