Austintown trustees prepare to negotiate with five unions

By Elise Franco

Union leaders said they understand the township’s tight finances but don’t want to see jobs lost.

AUSTINTOWN — Township trustees hope to be well on their way to negotiating five new union contracts by year’s end.

Trustee Dave Ditzler said current three-year contracts expire Dec. 31 for police, fire, dispatch, parks and road departments. He said negotiations should begin soon and were postponed until the outcome of the Nov. 3 election was known.

“We do have an obligation to begin negotiations before the end of the year.” he said. “We’ll likely file an extension on the current contracts so that they can go into the new year with negotiations. Whatever is determined is retroactive to Jan. 1.”

Ditzler said negotiations with the police department — Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 126 — will likely be the first to get under way. The other unions negotiating contracts will be International Association of Fire Fighters Local 3356, Teamsters Local 377 and Ohio Patrolman’s Benevolent Association Dispatch Unit.

“We normally do the police department first because they’re the largest bargaining unit,” he said. “A lot of the other unions follow suit with the health care the police union agrees on.”

Township Administrator Mike Dockry, who also plays a role in the negotiations, said he wouldn’t comment until the contracts are completed.

Because of the economic climate around Austintown going into the 2010 fiscal year, Diztler said these negotiations are important to both sides.

“It’s important the employees understand the state of the township,” he said. “There are a lot of things working against us, and we’ll need the unions’ cooperation to provide as many services to the township as we do.”

Ditzler said next year’s loss of tangible personal property tax, which brought about $775,000 into the township annually, combined with the failed five-year 0.6-mill replacement levy has left Austintown scraping. The tangible personal property tax has been phased out by the state.

“A wage freeze is one real possibility,” he said. “Right now we’re probably balancing the budget by the skin of our teeth, and in 2010 that will be a much different scenario.”

Ditzler said raises are unlikely, and some concession will be necessary.

“Hopefully we’ll agree to the current salary and benefits, or maybe the current salary and benefits are reduced,” he said. “Everybody would maintain their hourly wages ... the process of overtime, minimum manning requirements, health care and the percentage of co-pay could change.”

FOP President Lt. Tom Collins said the police department is aware of Austintown’s budget situation and how it might affect negotiations.

“We want what’s in the best interest of all three parties — the township, the residents and the FOP organization,” he said. “The FOP is strongly aware of the economy situations that exist in the community, and obviously that’s a prevailing factor in the negotiations.”

In the current contract, union employees saw the percentage they paid for health care increase each year. Employees paid 5 percent in 2007, 7.5 percent in 2008 and 10 percent in 2009.

At the top of the police union pay scale, a lieutenant made $31.77 per hour in 2009. An officer with up to one year of experience made $21.71 per hour in the same year. In 2009, the annual salary for a fire captain was $58,639. A full-time, first-year firefighter’s annual salary in 2009 was $28,840.

Full-time dispatchers with more than three years of experience made $19.66 per hour, while part time dispatchers with the same experience made $16.22 per hour. Full-time dispatchers with less than one year on the job made $17.69 per hour, and part-timers with less than 900 hours of service made $9.78 per hour.

Full-time foremen in the parks or road departments made $18.50 per hour in 2009, while laborers made $15.59 per hour.

Collins said the one thing he doesn’t want to see happen is a reduction in manpower.

“Our No. 1 concern is providing safety and adequate response time for our residents,” he said. “The economy has turned for the worse and we’ve seen a substantial increase in violent crimes, so we don’t want to remove any officers from the street.”

Dave Schertzer, IAFF president, also said he doesn’t want to see anyone lose their job.

“I think we all need to sit down and see where they’re at with their money and hopefully find a common ground,” he said. “We want to make sure we keep all of our guys working,”

Ditzler said layoffs would be the worst-case-scenario. He said unlike school districts, townships aren’t allowed to go into a new fiscal year in the red.

“No one wants to see anyone lose their job,” he said. “... We have to plan on making cuts somewhere to balance the budget.”

Ditzler said the township has scaled back, which could potentially help save jobs.

efranco@vindy.com

Austintown contracts

Expire on Dec. 31

Contract negotiations for International Association of Fire Fighters Local 3356, Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 126, Teamsters Local 377 (parks and road departments) and Ohio Patrolman’s Benevolent Association Dispatch Unit will begin sometime before the end of the year. The current contracts, approved for 2007 through 2009, lay out health care contributions as well as pay compensation for each year of the contract.

Percentage of health care

Costs paid by all union employees

2007: 5 percent.

2008: 7.5 percent.

2009: 10 percent.

Pay scale breakdown

FOP hourly pay

Zero to one year: 2007, $20.07; 2008, $20.88; 2009, $21.77.

One to three years: 2007, $21.20; 2008, $22.04; 2009, $22.93.

Patrolman: 2007, $22.31; 2008. $23.20; 2009, $24.13.

Sr. Patrolman: 2007, $23.43; 2008, $24.37; 2009, $25.34

Sergeant: 2007, $26.24; 2008, $27.29; 2009, $28.39.

Lieutenant: 2007, $29.38; 2008, $30.55; 2009, $31.77.

IAFF annual pay

First-year firefighter: $28,840.

Second-year firefighter: $32,960.

Firefighter Inspector: 2007, $44,252; 2008, $46,022; 2009, $47,863.

Lieutenant Inspector: 2007, $47,173; 2008, $49,060; 2009, $51,022.

Captain Inspector: 2007, $54,215; 2008, $56,384; 2009, $58,639.

Firefighter: 2007, $43,232; 2008, $44,961; 2009, $46,760.

Lieutenant: 2007, $47,173; 2008, $49,060; 2009, $51,022.

Captain: 2007, $54,215; 2008, $56,384; 2009, $58,639.

Assistant Chief: 2007, $56,912; 2008, $59, 188; 2009, $61,556.

Dispatch hourly pay

Less than one year/900 hours:

Full-time: 2007, $16.51; 2008, $17.01; 2009, $17.69.

Part-time: 2007, $9.13; 2008, $9.40; 2009, $9.78.

One to Three years:

Full-time: 2007, $17.43; 2008, $17.95; 2009, $18.67.

Part-time: 2007, $11.58; 2008, $11.92; 2009, $12.40.

More than three years:

Full-time: 2007, $18.35; 2008, $18.91; 2009, $19.66.

Part-time: 2007, $15.14; 2008, $15.60; 2009, $16.22.

Teamsters hourly pay

Foreman: 2007, $17.11; 2008, $17.79; 2009, $18.50.

Laborer: 2007, $14.41; 2008, $14.99; 2009, $15.59.

Source: Ohio’s State Employee Relations Board.