A federal arbitrator has ruled in favor of Danville Firefighters Local 429 in its contract dispute with the city. But it may cost firefighters dearly. Mayor Scott Eisenhauer is proposing cutting an entire shift, reducing the number of firefighters from 42 to 26. The Mayor says the arbitrator’s decision is going to cost the city $1.3 million dollars.
The arbitrator sided with the firefighter’s union agreeing with the position that minimum manning should remain at 13 firefighters per shift. The arbitrator also awarded the firefighters the four year contract agreement it had sought – including wage hikes totaling 9-percent over four years.
Vice Mayor Rickey Williams is concerned about the proposal to cut sixteen firefighters. ‘’I think it’s terrible for everyone involved – including the firefighters,’’ said Williams. ‘’I wish we could have come to an agreement to avoid the situation that we now all face. I’m not sure that we can be safe with twenty-six firefighters. The Mayor would have to do a lot of convincing because I don’t think that I can be convinced on that point,’’ said Williams during an interview with VermilionCountyFirst.com News.
The Mayor says the minimum manning ruling will require firefighters who remain after the cuts in personnel to work more. ‘’Overtime will be increased to $1.5 million dollars. That would account for meeting minimum manning requirements with fewer personnel. That would in essence mean that each firefighter would receive approximately $58-thousand dollars in overtime per year. We would implement an unemployment line of $480-thousand dollars as a one-time cost. That would then, of course, make up for the lay-offs that we would have to do in order to meet these numbers,’’ said Mayor Eisenhauer.
The Mayor says he had hoped the arbitrator would approve a three year contract so the two sides could start working on some of the issues, such as overtime costs. But now he says the arbitrator ‘’has handcuffed us from doing anything.’’
The City Council earlier agreed to close the number 3 fire station on North Griffin Street. Administrative offices for the fire department are scheduled to remain there, though, when the fire suppression unit stationed there is cut later this spring.
The balanced budget proposal outlined by the Mayor last night shows expenditures and revenues totaling just over $24.5 million dollars. But the City Council is yet to vote on raising the Fire Safety Fee and a Storm Water Management Enterprise Fund.
