Youngstown plans second round of firefighter buyouts to cut costs
The firefighters agreed to freezes to their base pay for two years.
YOUNGSTOWN — City administrators have agreed to another early-retirement buyout for firefighters to reduce expenses.
Also, the firefighters union agreed to base-pay freezes for the final two years of its contract, retroactive to Sept. 1.
The buyouts won’t save any money for the city this year, but the estimated savings would be about $250,000 in 2010 and about $200,000 in 2011, said city Finance Director David Bozanich.
The city’s general fund is expected to finish this year with a deficit of more than $1 million. City officials say the 2010 deficit is significantly more than $1 million, but haven’t given a figure.
The city’s savings on the firefighter buyouts in future years would come from replacing higher-paid senior firefighters, who average $58,000 in annual base salary alone, with rookies who’ll earn $24,000 in annual base salary to start. It would take new firefighters 10 years to reach an annual base salary of $52,500 under a tentative agreement reached between the city and its firefighter union.
Between nine and 12 firefighters are expected to take the buyout, Bozanich said. The tentative agreement says the buyout won’t be offered unless at least nine firefighters agree to it.
The buyout, identical to one accepted by 20 firefighters last year, would pay each firefighter taking the deal a year’s base salary given in five equal installments annually, beginning in April 2010. There are 135 to 140 firefighters in the union.
Attempts Tuesday by The Vindicator to reach David Cook, president of the International Association of Fire Fighters Local 312, which represents the city’s firefighters, were unsuccessful.
The city’s board of control will meet early today to approve the buyout deal contingent on approval from city council. Council meets at 5:30 p.m. today. Both the board and council are expected to OK the plan.
If the buyout offer is approved, those accepting the deal would be off the city payroll by late October or early November.
The board of control and city council also will consider legislation today to freeze the base pay of firefighters for two years, retroactive to Sept. 1.
The city and the union approved a three-year contract in January, retroactive to Sept. 1. That deal included a 3-percent retroactive pay raise and time for the two sides to negotiate possible raises during the final two years.
The administration and union recently agreed to base pay freezes for those last two years, Bozanich and Mayor Jay Williams said.
The tentative agreement with the union states if the city gives a “salary raise, or any other monetary increase, bonus or benefit to any general fund bargaining unit,” except those “mandated by a conciliator,” that firefighters — excluding those hired to replace the ones taking the buyout — would receive the same financial benefit.
“It will set a precedent with our negotiations with the other unions,” Williams said of the firefighters agreeing to a base pay freeze. “The Youngstown firefighters are leading the way with not only city unions, but with [the unions of other] governmental agencies in the county.”
Based on its financial troubles, the city announced last month it would lay off seven full-time workers and 11 part-timers. Except for five full-time employees, the last day the others worked was Aug. 21. The remaining five will work their last day Friday.
Even with the layoffs, the early-retirement offer to the firefighters, and a similar buyout taken by seven ranking police officers, the city is expected to end the year with a deficit of more than $1 million.
“We’re doing everything we can to avoid [additional] layoffs,” Bozanich said Tuesday. “However, it’s still a consideration.”
Williams said, “Layoffs remain on the table. It very much remains [an option] though there will be no layoffs in the fire department, period.”
skolnick@vindy.com