No contract deal for Niles police or firefighters

By Jordan Cohen

One police union official said wages are not the only issue.

NILES — Firefighters overwhelmingly rejected a three-year contract with the city containing a wage freeze, while bargainers for Niles’ 25 police patrolmen declared an impasse and requested fact-finding to help resolve differences.

“Two-thirds of our 28 firemen have voted the city’s offer down,” said Rodney Freel, president of Firefighters Local 320.

Freel indicated Thursday night his membership was particularly upset over changes in manning schedules.

“Currently, we have seven people on a turn in the winter and six in the summer,” Freel said. “The city wants it six year-round, and our membership is not happy about that.”

Freel said he would contact city bargainers, including Mayor Ralph Infante, to discuss returning to negotiations.

The rejected three-year contract included a wage freeze and a lower starting salary for new hires. However, the agreement contained a clause that would grant the firefighters an equal-pay increase should other departments negotiate one.

The second setback for the city came with the declaration of an impasse by Teamsters Local 348, the patrolmen’s bargaining unit.

Their attorneys sent a letter requesting a “list of qualified persons from which the parties may select a fact finder” to the State Employment Relations Board.

Under state law, fact finders can be requested only when two sides are at an impasse.

“We expect to send them a list of five people to consider,” said J. Russell Keith, SERB general counsel. “If they are unable to agree on any of the five, then we will appoint a fact finder to review the negotiations.

Local 348 is one of three police bargaining units that negotiate with the city. The other two, consisting of dispatchers and ranking officers, are represented by the Ohio Patrolmen’s Benevolent Association.

“Our issues are not limited to wages,” said Patrolman Todd Mobley, Local 348 steward. “We also have concerns about contract language.”

Mobley said that “benefits aren’t the issue” but referred further questions to the local’s attorney, Susan Jansen. A message left for her was not returned late Thursday.

The mayor declined to discuss the status of negotiations but warned that city funds are lacking.

“They’ve got to look at this seriously and see how and where everyone is,” Infante said, referring to the patrolmen. “Any increase, if there is one, is going to come out of their budget.”

According to the SERB general counsel, once a fact finder’s report is completed, it is submitted to both sides for approval. If either side rejects, the issues are submitted to arbitration, where the decision by the arbitrator is binding.