By Charlie Lardner
The York Dispatch
YORK CITY, Pa. — York City and the union representing its firefighters remain at an impasse on an agreement to reduce sick leave and the resulting overtime costs.
During a Tuesday presentation to city council’s fire committee, York City Mayor Kim Bracey and fire chief Steven Buffington said a tentative agreement reached with the union earlier in the month has not been signed.
The issue had appeared to be headed for a resolution on March 10 with each side saying they had given concessions and would soon sign an agreement to formalize the policy changes.
At that time, union president Fred DeSantis said though he believes the real solution is to hire additional firefighters, his members agreed to limit to two the number of times a firefighter can call in sick in one year without getting a doctor’s note to return to work.
In return, Buffington said the city
offered to reduce from 12 to 10 the number of times per year fire department management can shift a captain to engine coverage. Doing so allows managers to shift a junior firefighter to cover for someone who was absent from work.
Not signed: But when asked Tuesday by council member Toni Smith if that agreement had been signed, Buffington said it had not.
Buffington did not elaborate on exactly why the impasse remains, only that each side continues to work toward a resolution.
Bracey said she was “disappointed” with the union’s behavior.
The overtime issue came to a head March 8 when Buffington reported the city in 2010 paid firefighters $647,830 in overtime, more than doubling the $300,000 budgeted for that expense. Since 2001, overtime pay for the city’s 67 uniformed fire personnel has increased 875 percent, Buffington said.
Buffington said a department the size of York’s — accounting for normal sick leave, vacation, and injury absences — should figure for an overtime budget of $171,000 annually.
DeSantis attended the meeting but was not allowed to speak because public comments were not permitted at the informational session for council members, fire committee chairwoman Renee Nelson said.
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