Fact finder’s report targets overtime, finances in Girard

The fact finder’s report was released this week.

By JOHN W. GOODWIN JR.

VINDICATOR TRUMBULL STAFF

GIRARD — A fact-finding report suggest a few changes be made to the new contract between the city and firefighters, but many points brought before the fact finder would remain unchanged.

Issues addressed in the report include vacation, overtime, health insurance and salaries, among other things.

The city proposed a 1-percent pay raise in the first and second years and a 1.5-percent raise in the third year along with a tiered wage agreement.

The bargaining unit asked for 3.5-percent raises in each of the three years of the contract. The department accepted no raises in its last contract.

The firefighters’ bargaining unit consist of three captains and nine firefighters.

Auditor Sam Zirafi said firefighters earn a base salary of about $42,000 to $45,000, with captains earning about $48,000 to $50,000.

The fact finder recommended a 2-percent raise in each of the three years of the contract and suggested the tiered wage agreement be implemented to save the city additional dollars with impending retirements.

According to Jerry Lambert, safety services director for the city, city employees currently pay $15 per pay for a single person policy and $30 per pay for family medical coverage. He said the city agreed to maintain the current contribution, but the city expects to pay about $1,385 per employee for insurance and asked that employees split any costs above the $1,385 evenly with the city should premiums increase.

The premium split was rejected by the fact finder.

“If the other [bargaining units] have agreed to this and [the firefighters] are given something different, how is that fair?” said Lambert.

The city and union did agree to implement a health insurance committee made up of one member from each union in the city and city representatives to oversee any changes in city health care policies.

The city sought to base firefighters’ hourly rate of pay on 2,756 work hours rather than the current 2,080 work hours. The new calculation would lower the hourly wage amount, therefore decreasing the dollar amount paid to firefighters on overtime.

The fact finder rejected the city’s request, saying the fire levy provides enough funding to maintain the current 2,080 work-hour calculations.

The city also sought to remove the three-man minimum staffing stipulations that are in the current contract.

Lambert said the fire department once had five men on a shift with two men allowed off at any given time. Under those guidelines, the department could operate above the minimum manning requirement of three.

According to Lambert, the city reduced staffing in the department to four per shift, but the contract still allowed two men off per shift and kept minimum manning at three. He said anytime two men were off on a shift someone was guaranteed overtime — costing the city additional money in overtime pay.

The fact finder said the minimum manning should be maintained, but gave the city more discretion as to who should be off work and when. The city can now make vacation scheduling in the department sensitive to the minimum manning needs.

The city also proposed a 12-hour workday for firefighters instead of the current 24-hour workday. The fact finder suggested maintaining the current 24-hour workday.

jgoodwin@vindy.com