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Boardman Township and firefighters union headed to conciliation over contract
BOARDMAN
Boardman Township trustees and the township firefighters’ union soon will head to binding arbitration after the two parties were unable to reach an agreement on a new contract through collective bargaining or fact-finding.
Both sides said the biggest issue is wages.
Negotiations have been going on since the old contract, which started in March 2011, expired at the end of February.
“The compelling reason to go to conciliation is the township’s refusal to accept the fact-finder’s position on wages,” said Atty. Dennis Haines, who represents the International Association of Firefighters Local 1176.
Fact-finder Michelle Miller- Kotula determined the township should give wage increases of $1,250 per year, saying, “This particular bargaining unit has taken wage freezes for several years to support the employer’s past financial position. By taking such freezes, the employer has been able to reduce its expenditures. Furthermore, the evidence proves that the union has previously changed its salary structure in en effort to save money for the employer. ... The union also has changed provision in its health care to save money for the employer. It is therefore my recommendation for these wages increases to be adopted based on the foregoing reasons.”
Township trustees, however, said the township is not in a financial position to follow that recommendation.
“We were very uncomfortable because it would put a financial hardship on the township if it were approved as it came back from the fact-finder,” said Trustee Tom Costello. “We have a very tight budget. What community doesn’t?”
Instead, the township offered the union a $1,250 bonus the first year, a 2 percent raise the second year and a $1,250 bonus the third year, which is what the township has offered the other unions with which it negotiates.
Costello said the township trustees knew they needed to give employees something but “couldn’t break the bank,” so they came up with what they could afford and offered the same thing to all six unions.
“That’s a crime,” said Harry Wolfe, president of the local union chapter. “They think all the employees deserve the same thing, and I disagree with that. We all do different jobs.”
Wolfe said township firefighters should get the wage increases proposed by the fact-finder because of the pay freezes and restructured pay scale the fire department has been operating under for the past several years.
Wolfe said the department has been under a pay freeze since 2008.
And, the restructured pay scale brought down the wage rates.
For instance, entry-level firefighters hired before October 2010 make an annual salary of about $36,000, while entry-level firefighters hired since 2011 make an annual salary of $24,000.
Firefighters who have between one and 22 years of experience make an annual salary between $25,500 and $57,297. Lieutenants have an annual salary of $55,583 to $57,320, depending on how many years they have held the rank. Captains make an annual salary of $60,526 to $62,398, depending on years in the rank; and assistant chiefs make an annual salary between $66,537 and $68,594.
A $1,250 wage increase would amount to a raise of about 5 percent for entry-level firefighters; about 2 percent for senior firefighters, lieutenants and captains of three years; and about 1.8 percent for an assistant chief of three years.
Though Costello and township Administrator Jason Loree said they hoped the two sides could come to an agreement before conciliation, Wolfe said that is unlikely “unless they agree to the fact-finder’s report.”
“We didn’t ask for much. And we didn’t get a lot either,” he said. “We wanted to restructure. We wanted to give the younger guys a little more money. And the fact-finder agreed.”
“I don’t foresee us sitting at the table again,” he said.
What the union asked for in terms of wages was 2 percent increases for each year of the new contract and an adjustment of the tiers of the pay scales.
“What they’re asking for is nothing unreasonable,” said Fire Chief Mark Pitzer of the union. But, “[the trustees] really have to be conscientious with the amount of money they hand out.”
“Hopefully they can come to an agreement that will give our guys a little bit of a raise ... but that won’t break the bank,” he said.
The next hearing has not been scheduled.