By Liz Zemba
The Tribune-Review
UNIONTOWN, Pa. — The Uniontown Fire Department, which might lose seven members to layoffs, discussed alternatives with city officials Tuesday, but nothing has been decided.
Mayor Ed Fike maintains about 25 layoffs, including seven firefighters, may be needed to balance the budget to alleviate a $220,700 deficit.
Representatives of both sides met yesterday morning at city hall to discuss the proposed layoffs.
Joshua Bloom, a Pittsburgh attorney who represents the firefighters, said they presented possible alternatives to the layoffs.
“They tried to come up with some ideas on how to raise more funds for the fire department or ways to perform services in a more lean and cost-effective way for the city in exchange for keeping the firefighters,” Bloom said. “But there is still much discussion to go through before a decision is made.”
Bloom said one option would require contract concessions from the firefighters, who are represented by the International Association of Firefighters Local 955.
“We talked about making concessions for a new contract, but we didn’t go into specifics,” Bloom said. “If the city does want to go in that direction, we want to have full negotiations.”
Fike said firefighters suggested another alternative involving the possibility of seeking grant money. “They talked about retention grant money, but nobody seemed to know where to get it,” Fike said.
Fike said the city is waiting for firefighters to provide additional information on proposed alternatives, but time is running out.
“We told them we need them to get back to us yesterday,” Fike said. “In other words, immediately, if not sooner.”
This is the second time that firefighters have faced layoffs. Three were laid off in October 2008, followed by another four in February, but all were reinstated after the union filed a grievance.
The union alleged the city did not give firefighters 30 days notice of the first round of layoffs so that alternatives could be discussed. All seven were reinstated after an arbitration hearing in March, but they were advised that three were guaranteed employment through September and the other four through December.
Bloom yesterday said the city this time gave notice of the layoffs in August.
Firefighters have said any cuts to their department jeopardizes safety. With the earlier layoffs, the department closed one of two stations and scheduled two men per eight-hour shift.
Because at least four firefighters must be on the scene before any can enter a burning building — Chief Chuck Coldren said the industry standard calls for “two in, two out” for safety — firefighters said lives might be at risk as they wait for volunteers to provide backup.
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