Firefighters seeking financial discussion

By Denise Dick

The talks will take place in an executive session at next week’s meeting.

BOARDMAN — The union representing township firefighters wants to talk to trustees and the fiscal officer about the township finances to see if they can reach agreement on a solution.

Harry Wolfe, president of Boardman Professional Firefighters Local 1176 of the International Association of Firefighters, sent a letter Monday requesting the executive session meeting.

“I understand that we all have to work together and we need to come to some kind of agreement,” Wolfe said.

He said only a few items in the recently approved contract deal with financial issues and he doesn’t want to reopen negotiations for the whole pact.

But it’s possible for both sides to issue a memorandum of understanding if they can agree on certain issues, the union president said.

“We want to know, what do they want from the fire department?” Wolfe said.

“I think the board’s answer to that would be, ‘What are you looking to give?’ said Jason Loree, township administrator.

He said he plans to put the meeting with fire union representatives on next week’s meeting agenda under “executive session.”

Monetary issues included in the three-year contract approved earlier this year include a 2.5 percent raise each year, signing and performance bonuses and a clothing allowance, Loree said.

“Those all add to the costs of the township,” he said.

In February, trustees laid off 30 full-time and 12 part-time employees, including nine full-time firefighters, because of financial constraints. A 4.1-mill general operating levy to generate about $4 million failed at the ballot last November.

At the time of the layoffs, trustees announced that any concessions made or new revenue found would stay in the department whose members made or found them. The savings, if sufficient, would potentially bring laid-off employees back.

Wolfe, however, worries because of previous statements by township officials that even if another levy is placed on the ballot and successful, all laid-off employees probably wouldn’t be brought back to work.

“What is the incentive for our members to give back?” he asked.

Loree estimated the average cost of a firefighter at $80,000 including wages and benefits. That puts the total needed for all laid-off firefighters to return to work at $720,000.