IAFF:Always on the Front Line

The economy is affecting IAFF members throughout this union through staffing reductions, station closures, cost shifting and wage concessions as local governments lose revenue. To help IAFF members get a clearer understanding of the depth of the financial crisis, the effect it's having at every level of the economy -- including local and state budgets -- the IAFF has prepared the following summaries of and links to "economic crisis" news articles related to cuts in state and local budgets, fire fighter staffing, health care benefits, compensation, pension plans and other areas as a result of the economic downturn.

Mayor suggests all-volunteer fire department to cut costs
La Crosse Tribune (11/18/09)
The La Crosse firefighters' union chief said he and his members were “blindsided” by an idea Mayor Matt Harter floated to convert the 95-person department to an all or partial volunteer force. “They’re calling me and saying ‘What about the promises that were made that we’re not reducing services?’” said Lt. Jeff Murphy, head of Local 127 of the International Association of Fire Fighters. “My answer to all of this is I have no idea what’s going on because he completely blindsided us.” Reports circulating prompted Murphy and dozens of other fire fighters to pack the city’s council chambers, where the body was preparing to vote on the 2010 operating budget. Many of the council’s 17 members said they, too, were stunned by the mayor’s suggestion of transitioning to the lower-cost service.

Morristown passes across-the-board budget cuts
WBIR Knoxville (11/18/09)
The City of Morristown has slashed its budget across the board, due to declining sales tax revenue. The budget cuts, which take effect on December 1, trim 4 percent from each department. All include reduced work hours for City employees. The budget cuts last until June 30, which is the end of the budget year. Fire Chief Bill Honeycutt expects to lay off two workers, cut $75,000 from the operations budget, plus cut each employee's hours by eight hours per month. He said those cuts would save $249,000, the 4 percent he was asked to cut.

JC board supports fire chief's plan to reduce overtime
Press & Sun-Bulletin (11/17/09)
In an effort to reduce overtime costs, the village board endorsed the suggestion of its fire chief to reduce the minimum staffing level of on-duty fire fighters from six to five or four, even if a station is temporarily closed.
By authorizing overtime, Chief Stephen Hrustich had kept minimum staffing at six per shift -- three each at the North Side and South Side fire stations. With the board's support, Hrustich will decide day-by-day, shift-by-shift -- based on fire fighters available for duty without paying overtime -- whether to close a station and deploy all on-duty personnel at the North Side facility on Harry L Drive. Fire Union President Marty Meaney said the decision will compromise public safety. "You've drastically reduced what you provide taxpayers," said Meaney, saying responsibility for property damage, injuries or deaths would rest with the board. "Cutting down to four people is not safe. People expect their firehouse to be open."

Budget proposal includes major cuts
Tiffin Advertiser Tribune (11/17/09)
Tiffin residents would have to do without the City's pool and other parks programs under the mayor's 2010 budget proposal. The budget includes cuts in most departments, including major cuts in parks and recreation and possible layoffs in the police and fire departments. "Each department head made every effort to trim his or her budget to the bare minimum - and I commend their efforts. However, even with these deep cuts, some departments are facing layoffs, unless the respective unions agree to concessions," Mayor Jim Boroff said.
According to the proposed budget, Police Chief David LaGrange has slashed operational and maintenance budgets to a minimum. He said that unless the union makes concessions, one officer will remain on layoff and two more officers might be laid off.

Johnston council expected to vote on cutting firefighter benefits
Providence Journal (11/16/09)
The town could save at least $635,000 by rewriting fire fighters’ health and pension benefits, according to Town Solicitor William J. Conley. Conley might identify even more potential savings tonight when the Town Council meets to reconvene public hearings for proposed ordinances that would cut fire fighters’ benefits –– despite stiff opposition from fire fighters. Last week, the firefighters’ union asked the Superior Court to restrain the council from slashing the benefits, arguing that state law forces town officials to negotiate benefits in contract negotiations or at arbitration proceedings. The ordinance on pension benefits would move some fire fighters from a local pension plan to the Municipal Employees Retirement System run by the State Retirement Board. The majority of Johnston’s fire fighters already receive benefits through the state-run system.

Flint Township adopts 2010 budget with cuts to police, fire departments
The Flint Journal (11/16/09)
The Township Board approved a 2010 budget that cuts $1.1 million in spending over the current year’s plan with much of it coming from police and fire services. Trustees, voting 5-2, acted to trim $445,488 in the police department by leaving unfilled five positions -- two are patrol posts, and three others involve retiring employees who will not be replaced. In the fire department, a decision by assistant fire chief Mark Rowley to retire earlier than planned, plus cuts in overtime spending, prevented the layoff of three fire fighters as nearly $230,000 in department cuts were made. Supervisor Karyn Miller characterized this year’s budget deliberations as difficult in light of declining property values and state shared revenues, the bread and butter of municipal funding. Those revenues are expected to continue to fall in coming years, making future cuts even more troublesome. “It was not an easy process,” she said.

Buckeye may shed 40 public-safety jobs
The Arizona Republic (11/15/09)
Valley cities have made many sacrifices in these rough economic times, everything from delaying roadwork to reducing trash service and canceling public festivals. To balance their budgets, many have frozen or cut employees' wages, erased open positions, let go or furloughed non-essential personnel and offered early retirement. Some have taken back staff cell phones and even cut the free coffee and water. For others, raising taxes was part of the solution. But one thing they haven't done is lay off police officers and fire fighters.
Buckeye may be about to set a precedent. The southwest Valley town could become the first in the Valley to shed public-safety jobs -- 40 of them -- in this recession.

Safety forces unhappy with budget
Columbus Dispatch (11/14/09)
Mayor Michael B. Coleman's 2010 budget proposal didn't go over well with police and fire forces, whose campaigning helped win passage of the city's first income-tax increase since the early 1980s. In his $655 million general-fund budget plan, Coleman proposed adding 50 police officers and no fire fighters in 2010, even though Columbus expects a wave of retirements in 2011. "We went out and convinced the public that we needed the tax to maintain safety forces," said Jack Reall, president of International Association of Fire Fighters Local 67.
"There's no way" the mayor's plan lives up to that promise, Reall said.

Aurora fire officials accept raise freeze for 2010
Chicago Daily Herald (11/13/09)
The higher-ranking Aurora fire fighters have joined the ranks of city employees who have agreed to a wage freeze in 2010. All 29 members of the union, which is comprised of the ranks of captain, battalion chief, assistant chief and fire marshal, were scheduled to receive a 3.5 percent increase effective January 1, 2010. Assistant Chief of Staff Carie Anne Ergo said that the freeze will save the city about $125,000. "The members of (the union) should be commended for agreeing to the (wage) freeze," Mayor Tom Weisner said in a written statement. "Their agreement illustrates their understanding of the difficult financial times everyone in the city is facing and I believe it shows their dedication the citizens of Aurora." Union President Dave Rygh said many of the officers felt taking the freeze felt like the right thing to do because of "the economic circumstances."

Firefighters' expert says layoffs avoidable
Akron Beacon Journal (11/13/09)
Akron could have ended this year with a budget surplus — without laying off 38 fire fighters — according to an accountant the fire union hired. The city simply needed to move money from other funds into the general fund to shore up its balance, Frank Suponcic said. "I don't think layoffs were necessary,'' said Susannah Muskovitz, a Cleveland attorney representing the fire union. Suponcic's testimony during an Akron Civil Service Commission hearing was cut short when Assistant Law Director Tammy Kalail asked for a continuance. She said she hadn't been given a copy of Suponcic's report. Akron laid off 91 employees, including 38 fire fighters, on October 1.
City leaders said the layoffs — Akron's first in 27 years — were needed to help bridge a projected budget deficit of as much as $8 million by the end of the year. Forty-seven of the employees appealed their layoffs to the Civil Service Commission. This included 37 of the fire fighters, who are claiming the city's finances weren't so dire that layoffs were necessary. One fire fighter, who had just returned from military deployment, chose not to appeal. Many of the laid-off fire fighters attended The daylong hearing, taking up three rows in City Council's chambers.

Council OKs $150,000 study on efficiency
The State (11/12/09)
After finishing the 2009 fiscal year with a $9 million deficit, Columbia City Council members approved $150,000 in taxpayer money for an efficiency study -- and have told the city's interim city manager to find the money to pay for it. The Columbia Firefighters Association has produced a report that shows cuts have reduced the department's ability to meet national standards for response times. "Having that data makes you look at that recommendation a little bit differently," Devine said. But Travis Carricato, spokesman for the Columbia Firefighters Association, pointed out that the association provided that study for free. "Instead of (that money) going into the general budget that could be used to help the fire department, it is now used to help the efficiency study," Carricato said. "It sets us back even farther."

10 firefighters taking city’s buyout deal
Vindy.com (11/11/09)
Youngstown will save about $315,000 next year because 10 senior members of the fire department, some making as much as $71,030 a year in base pay, are taking an early-retirement/resignation buyout that will see them replaced by entry-level fire fighters who’ll earn $24,000 in base pay in their first year. The buyout is designed to reduce employee costs for a cash-strapped city that expects to end this year with a deficit of about $1 million.

Strapped Uniontown to lay off 7 of 13 firefighters
Associated Press (11/11/09)
Officials in a financially struggling city in southwestern Pennsylvania have decided to lay off seven of 13 paid fire fighters. Three fire fighters will be laid off December 11, and the other four on December 31. Last year, Mayor Ed Fike said the city was "bankrupt" and the city laid off 31 of 87 workers in the spring, though some were recalled. Councilman Gary Crozier opposed the layoffs, saying he thought street department workers or others not involved with public safety should be laid off before the fire fighters.

Grand Rapids cuts police, firefighters
WWMT News Channel 3 (11/10/19)
It was a painful day for city leaders in Grand Rapids, who were forced to shrink the size of city government, and the workforce, to deal with budget restraints. As expected, City Manager Greg Sundstrom announced that 125 jobs will be cut, 69 of them police officers and fire fighters.

Mayor warns of more potential firefighter layoffs
The Star Press (11/10/09)
Additional layoffs might be in store for the Muncie Fire Department, Mayor Sharon McShurley said. The reason is not only ironic, but a classic example of the law of unintended consequences. Muncie might have to lay off more fire fighters to pay extended unemployment benefits to the 32 fire fighters laid off in June.

Huntington Lays Off Firefighters, Closes Downtown Fire Station
Indiana's NewsCenter (11/06/09)
Huntington's budget crisis has forced the lay off of six fire fighters, and the closure of the city's downtown fire station. A firefighters' union representative says that at a Huntington Board of Public Works meeting, Mayor Steve Updike laid off the six fire fighters. The move is designed to help ease the city's $1.5-million budget shortfall. The layoff forces the city to close the downtown fire station. The Mayor warns still more cuts to city services could be coming.

Grand Rapids city employees brace for major layoffs, likely including police officers and firefighters
The Grand Rapids Press (11/06/09)
Nearly one of every 11 city employees could lose their jobs following an announcement that one union chief said is being anticipated with "gloom and doom." City Manager Gregory Sundstrom says up to 150 employees will be laid off by January 1 -- the largest cuts in 38 years. ut the precise number is still being determined. Police and fire union leaders said they are expecting layoffs among their ranks, and the top police representative said officers are exploring whether a public-safety tax is feasible to restore jobs. The major restructuring of city government is to be announced. The cuts are intended to bridge a $21 million shortfall in the $130 million 2010-11 budget, a gap that is growing as state and local tax revenues slide. Who will be laid off and when is the big unknown for many of the city's 1,700 employees.

South Milwaukee freezes police, firefighter pay
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (11/04/09)
Police officers and fire fighters are slated for no pay raise in 2010 but a 2 percent raise in 2011 under agreements approved by the Common Council, which also voted to raise sewer fees. The firefighters' union has already ratified the agreement, but a ratification vote by the police union is pending. Both agreements raise the amount the employees will pay toward their health insurance.

City cuts hit local firefighters
The Nevada Sagebrush (11/03/09)
For almost a third of the past two months, the City of Reno left the University of Nevada, Reno campus without a fully staffed fire engine. Instead, a two-person rescue team, dubbed a “suicide” team by fire fighters who serve on it because of recent burns to colleagues on one, was assigned to cover the area. The move is part of a system to reduce overtime costs for the City of Reno Fire Department and is made on days it finds itself short-staffed, increasing the response time to any possible fire at the university. The replacement of the engine that normally serves UNR, Engine 4, with a rescue team is the fourth option to reorganize fire fighters on short-staffed days. It comes after the shutting down of two-ladder trucks and the conversion of a fire engine in Somersett to a two-person patrol rig. “Is it preferred?” Joe DuRousseau, the operations chief for the Reno Fire Department, said. “No. Obviously we’d like to keep every engine staffed all the time.”

Huntington emergency services suffer layoffs
Examiner.com (11/07/09)
Huntington Mayor Steve Updike held a press conference relaying information of coming citywide layoffs. The only position, at that date, to be announced in the layoff was the Mayor's secretary. He went on to say that six more layoffs were expected this week. Yesterday it was announce that six fire fighters from the East End station were the latest casualties of the 1.7 million dollar shortfall in tax revenue. This closed the only fire station between the center of town and the community of Roanoke. Roanoke has a volunteer service, but will now be hampered. It was also the closest station to a gravel pit as well as a multi company petroleum depot. These cuts also effect Huntington's Emergency Response Team, as four of the firefighters were also Emergency Response members. The union representative had said, he would fight layoffs of any fire fighters, during the press conference earlier this week. After the announcement, the representative said he believed these to be major cuts because of the duel function of the four fire fighters. Local 680 President Wayne Huff said, because of the cuts, response times would double.

Firefighter cutbacks in City of Canandaigua?
WHEC News 10 (11/02/09)
The City of Canandaigua wants to reduce the number of paid fire fighters. The city wants to layoff half of the fire department to close a budget gap. Scott Mackey is a merchant in Canandaigua. He says, “It scares me that the city would consider doing something like this.” Mackey has been in business in Canandaigua for five years. He chose Canandaigua because of the quality of life. However, he says a new proposal before the City Council could compromise all that he and his partner have built. “It is outrageous for a taxpayer to be put in harm’s way just because the city has a budget problem.” Mackey is referring to the proposal to layoff eight of the city’s 14 fire fighters. The city is facing a $1.7 million budget deficit. The proposal also includes cutting seven other positions, as well as implementing a small property tax increase.

39 layoffs may loom in Lorain; unions asked to take paycut
Chronicle-Telegram (10/30/09)
If the city can’t find additional revenue and employees refuse to take a pay cut, as many as 39 city workers will be laid off before the end of the year, Safety Director Phil Dore said. The city sent letters to the city’s five bargaining units asking whether those workers would consider taking a 7 percent pay cut to offset a projected $530,000 shortfall for 2009. That’s on top of 2008’s $1.3 million deficit. “We’re just out of money,” Dore said. “If revenue remains flat — no increase and no decrease — we know for a fact that we’ll have a reduction in property tax of $330,000.” There are three options, Dore said: Council can find a way to increase revenue. If that doesn’t happen, option No. 2 is to “reduce the amount that we pay people,” and if that doesn’t work, “the only thing left is we have to pay less people,” Dore said. The city’s fire fighters have already given up their 3.5 percent raise or benefits equaling 3.5 percent, so an additional 7 percent pay cut would hurt, said Fire Chief Tom Brown.

Fire and police service likely to suffer due to budget shortfall
Redlands Daily Facts (10/29/09)
Police and fire services are almost certain to be reduced as Colton struggles to close a projected $5 million budget shortage, Mayor Kelly Chastain said. While saying that public safety will be least affected by severe cuts to all city operations, she conceded they won't be immune. "I think that you're going to see some cuts in police and fire," Chastain said. "We can't just save public safety only. There has to be some balance." At least two employee unions responded to a city management proposal that asks every employee to take a 15 percent reduction in their compensation package. Delegates from both unions declined to comment on specifics of their proposals. Doug Blinkinsop, of San Bernardino County Firefighters Local 935, Colton's fire union, said members met and voted on a counterproposal.

Kentwood city council votes on layoffs
WZZM (10/29/09)
After public comment and lengthy proposals from 17 departments within the City of Kentwood, council members decided to reduce the number of cuts to Kentwood's fire and police departments. The Kentwood Fire Department will only have to layoff three fire fighters instead of six fire fighters. Likewise, the Kentwood Police Department will now lose two officers instead of four officers. While the cuts are half of what was initially proposed in Mayor Richard Root's recommendation, the loss of emergency personnel still affects the quality of life for Kentwood residents, according to Police Chief Richard Mattice. "What this proposal does to us is put us back a decade of progress, in this community," he said. Fire fighter and local union president Michael Abbott addressed commissioners, just hours after learning he is slated to lose his job. It is unclear based on the latest decision by council if Abbott will keep his job. Earlier in the evening, he explained what effects the original proposal would have. "If this goes through, we're going to have two stations closed, so we'll only have three stations in the whole city of Kentwood," Abbott said.

Panel backs trimming arson squad to save firefighter jobs
OnMilwaukee.com (10/29/09)
A Milwaukee Common Council committee voted to kill the fire department's fledgling arson squad and use the money to keep more fire fighters on the street. But the Council's Finance & Personnel Committee turned back other efforts to maintain current levels of fire fighter staffing. Acting on amendments to the 2010 city budget, the finance panel recommended eliminating two of the three arson investigators. They would be shifted back into fire fighting, to ease some -- but far from all -- of the cut Mayor Tom Barrett recommended in the overtime pay used to fill in for sick or vacationing fire fighters. The overtime cut was projected to knock one or two fire fighting companies out of service each day, on a rotating basis.

Should police, firefighters take furlough days?
WLS-TV Chicago (10/28/09)
Mayor Richard Daley is taking unpaid furlough days himself as he tries to deal with a budget crisis. Several aldermen think police officers and fire fighters should do the same thing. The salaries of public safety employees make up about 70-percent of city spending. The mayor says all city workers need to be aware just how bad the economy is right now.

Springs Employee Pay Cut To Balance Budget? Employee Speaks Out
KDRO (10/28/09)
One city employee says a proposal to reduce city salaries to save city services from budget cuts won't help in the long run. The proposal from Councilman Tom Gallagher has many city employees speaking out. Gallagher is proposing cutting city employee salaries, from police officers to city engineers, by 10 percent -- a move he says would help to slash the city's budget shortfall by more than half. The city faces a $25 million budget shortfall for the 2010 year. Council members have already told the community to expect big cuts, including city services and the slashing of several city jobs, many of which may come from the Colorado Springs Police and Fire Departments. Jeremy Kroto is a local fire fighter and Vice President of the Colorado Springs Professional Fire Fighters Association, IAFF Local 5. He says the idea "is not addressing the real issue and the layoffs aren't either." Kroto has been a fire fighter in Colorado Springs for eight years. He says local fire fighters already fall well below the state's average pay rate. "We're actually about 10 percent off the median, which would be obviously the middle, of what front range fire departments are paying right now." Kroto says pay is only a small part of the problem though. He says while business may be down for the City of Colorado Springs, calls for service, such as medical emergencies or fires, to the fire department have steadily increased.

Andover union agrees to furlough plan
Eagle Tribune (10/28/09)
Road crews, custodians and maintenance workers and other union employees will take 8 1/2 unpaid days off so four full-time employees won't lose their jobs. The move will save the town $120,000 this year. Under an agreement signed October 21, union members must take the unpaid time off between November 1 and June 30.
The furlough agreement leaves Andover fire fighters as the only municipal employee group that has not agreed to a pay concession this year. In September, firefighters union President Thomas Agnew said a plan to accept a 1 percent salary rollback fell apart after a grievance with the town when ladder truck staffing was not resolved.

More proposed budget cuts revealed in Bossier City
Shreveport Times (10/28/09)
With half a month to go before Bossier City's first budget hearing for its controversial 2010 budget, Councilman David Jones dropped a bombshell: why not target the roughly $1 million a year spent on SporTran bus services to save some of the police officer and fire fighter jobs slated to be eliminated in the mayor's proposal. "We're really not getting the bang for our buck," Jones said, noting the paltry attendance on the public transport system in Bossier. The proposed budget would eliminate 80 police and fire fighter positions, so councilmen are throwing out their own suggestions for how the mayor could pare back cuts. "

Oak Forest to ask employees to take 7 furlough days
Southtown Star (10/27/09)
Delays in receiving property tax money and a dip in other sources of revenue have prompted Oak Forest city officials to ask employees to take furlough days. Though city officials are not saying layoffs are in the offing should the unions refuse the furlough request, they aren't ruling out the possibility either. The city issued a letter to employees asking them to take seven furlough days next year. The city asked employee unions for a response by November 11. City administrator John Marquart declined to discuss the possibility of layoffs if the unions balk at the furlough request. Marquart said the city is experiencing some financial "stress" and that across the board, the village is looking for ways to make cuts. One specific area where the city has taken a hit is in its reserve fund. The city's goal in the past several years was to build a reserve fund in case of emergencies, such as the current downturn in the economy. The city had set a goal of having about $3 million in the fund and reached a high of about $2 million at one point last year. However, Marquart said the city has had to take about $700,000 out of the fund to cover other expenses. Police, public works, dispatchers and clerical staff are represented by Teamsters Union Local 726. Fire fighters are represented by International Association of Fire Fighters Local 3039.

Dade Commission Gives Unions A Choice For Pay Cuts
CBS 4 (10/26/09)
During the third meeting since approving its balanced budget back in September, the Miami-Dade Commission finally voted on the method to cut public employees' salaries. Miami-Dade Commissioners had failed to reach a comprehensive agreement on how to slash some $200 million dollars in employee costs in order to achieve the balanced budget it approved more than a month ago. But eventually with a 6 to 5 vote they agreed to give public employee unions a choice: In order to cut salaries, workers can either take a 5 percent cut in their base pay or they can give up holiday pay for the budget year. Mayor Carlos Alvarez has said the county is spending approximately $4 million per pay period as long as the cuts remain unresolved -- money that the county, at least on paper, does not have. By law, the county may not operate under a deficit. The mayor had proposed across-the-board pay cuts for union and non-union workers. Some commissioners, though, favored a sliding scale of cuts, with those who make the most taking larger reductions and lower paid workers getting smaller cuts. This idea failed. Unions for police, fire fighters, garbage workers and others have a host of ideas of their own. It has all added up to a stalemate that may leave the ball completely in the mayor's court, with no alternative but mass layoffs.

Lawrence Twp. firefighters to take 10.75% pay cut
North Indy Star (10/27/09)
Lawrence Township Trustee Russell Brown has released a budget cut proposal for the township fire department.
The proposal includes a pay reduction of 10.75 percent, the elimination of holiday bonus pay and the reduction of other bonuses, requiring fire fighters to pay an additional 5 percent of their health insurance premiums. Also eliminated would be an assistant chief, a deputy chief and a division chief, all who would stay as fire fighters with the department at a reduced merit rank.

With gaping deficits, San Jose manager seeks big union concessions
San Jose Mercury News (10/26/09)
In recent years, San Jose's employees have given up raises, accepted higher health insurance co-payments and agreed to pay more for their retirement health care, all to help the city cope with chronic deficits. But as they prepare to negotiate new union contracts for most of San Jose's 6,600 full-time workers, city officials say that's not nearly enough. In a report the City Council will consider, City Manager Debra Figone lays out grim choices she says the city's workers and the elected leaders largely sympathetic to them must face. With the operating deficit widening to $90 million, voters unlikely to approve higher taxes and other revenue-raising options limited, Figone said, city workers must either agree to work for less or perhaps face hundreds of layoffs. City union leaders have met with management negotiators to discuss Figone's report, but most declined Mercury News requests for comment. Randy Sekany, president of the firefighters' union, said only that they are willing to work with the city "at all opportunities for solutions" to the deficit.

Fire unions to vote on cuts
Baltimore Sun (10/23/09)
Baltimore's fire unions have tentatively agreed to take five furlough days between now and next June and to accept a wage freeze after that as their share of cuts demanded by the city to help close a $60.2 million budget gap. Members of the unions representing 1,600 fire fighters and officers will vote on the agreement, knowing that if the agreement is rejected, the dispute would probably be resolved in binding arbitration that could end with a salary cut, union officials said. "Things are bad, things are tough," said Stephan G. Fugate, president of the union representing 335 fire officers. "But we did have an opportunity to protect our members' interest, and I think we did." Because fire fighters would take furloughs during vacation time, the plan would not reduce the city's fire fighting force on any given day, Fugate said. He said the agreement, reached after a week of talks among union representatives consulting occasionally with city officials, would avoid layoffs. The proposal, Fugate said, "limits our exposure to further cuts." Bob Sledgeski, head of the union representing about 1,300 fire fighters, declined to discuss specifics of the tentative agreement but said "we came up with a compromise that we think works for everyone."

Cops, firefighters protest revenue sharing cuts
Detroit Free Press (10/22/09)
Dozens of police officers and fire fighters, along with a couple hundred people interested in funding for communities, vented their anger at the legislature in Lansing. They insisted that public safety would suffer if $144 million in revenue sharing cuts are allowed to stand. “I don’t know about you, but I’ve had it with the state legislature,” said Huntington Woods Councilman Jeff Jenks. “We are down past the bare bones. There is nothing left to purge.”

Firefighters: 'Can't protect' city after staff, trucks reduced
The State (10/22/09)
Columbia City Council's decision to reduce staffing at two fire stations to save money has reduced the city's ability to meet national standards with response times, according to a study by a group of city fire fighters. The Columbia Firefighters Association said council's decision to take two fire trucks out of service -- one at Station 9 and one at Station 8 -- means the city is only able to respond to 73 percent of property in the city in under eight minutes. The national standard is 90 percent, according to fire fighters and city officials. "You can't build a city that we can't protect, and at this point, we have a city we can't protect," Anthony Holloway, secretary for the Columbia Firefighters Association, told City Council. The changes mean each station has five fire fighters on duty instead of eight and one truck in service instead of two. That saves the city about $1.2 million a year, Columbia Fire Chief Bradley Anderson said.

Tulsa police and fire unions react to upcoming budget cuts
kjrh.com (10/15/09)
Police and fire union members are sending out a call for help, saying keeping their jobs means keeping you safe. The mayor has asked each city department to make 2.5 percent in reductions from their budgets, from there city leaders will determine what cuts to make. "It may be that as we look at it as a team, we will determine that there is one department that actually needs to maintain the status quo more significantly than another because of the impact to the citizens," said Mayor Kathy Taylor, (D)-Tulsa. For the Tulsa Fire Department, that's $1.5 million dollars, but the firefighters' union did anticipate future cuts and planned ahead by stating those cuts in its contract. Those adjustments include: decreases in fire fighters' overtime, clothing allowances, cutting a fire academy and holding back on raises through the pay grade system. Still, there's another half million the department needs to cut."We still have to figure out a way to make up for that portion and that's proving to be challenging," said Stan May, the president of the local firefighters' union.

Village proposes wage freezes, firefighters ask for workout time
Journal Times (10/15/09)
The village is proposing wage freezes for fire fighters in 2010, according to its initial proposal to the firefighters union. The proposal also includes employees paying an increased insurance premium, from paying 7 percent to 15 percent, increased emergency room co-payments from $25 to $100 and increased deductibles from $1,000 to $1,500. Numbers on how much that might save the village were not available. "It was pretty much what we expected," said Jason Hempel, president of the firefighters' union. Representatives of the firefighters union met with the Village Personnel Committee to exchange initial proposals. Fire fighters asked for an hour of optional workout time Monday through Saturday and increased sick time, from 12 hours a month to 24 hours.

Commission approves unpaid furloughs for Milwaukee police and firefighters
Metro News Headlines (10/15/09)
The Fire and Police Commission voted unanimously to approve a provision in Mayor Tom Barrett's proposed 2010 budget that would impose four unpaid furlough days for City of Milwaukee fire fighters and police officers. The commission's approval was necessary in order for the furloughs to be legal, city budget and management director Mark Nicolini told the commission. Nicolini said the furloughs were needed to prevent layoffs and help plug a projected $93 million city budget shortfall in 2010.

Seaside Firefighters Fight Against Layoffs
Central Coast News (10/14/09)
Dozens of fire fighters showed up to put the City of Seaside on notice. They say any possible layoffs could put you in danger. Budget cuts have already been made to all seaside city departments, but now the city could potentially enforce layoffs. This has prompted the seaside firefighter association to come to the city council meeting to address its concerns on what these possible cuts could mean for community safety. Inside the council chambers, faces are lit with frustration. A group from the seaside firefighters association told council there's a better way to budget than making layoffs. The association says they refuse to be on the chopping block. "I think that the city should first of all stop spending money on nonessential services, they should stop the fee waivers for the use of city facilities. Those are opportunities for the city to actually generate money," said Brian Lepai, Seaside Firefighter Association President.

Leoni Township Board votes to close fire department
The Jackson Citizen Patriot (10/14/09)
Leoni Township will eliminate its fire department November 1, the result of a failed millage request in August to support its operations. Its Public Safety Department will respond to all emergencies — including fires — in the township. The township board decided to close the department in a 5-1 vote as the money to support its personnel shrinks. "It's sad it's come down to this, but it's a money issue," township Supervisor Todd Brittain said. "We don't have the money to pay for two different departments." The fire department's four remaining full-time fire fighters will have the chance to negotiate for positions within the Public Safety Department, township officials said. They would need to complete police training in order to take on a position in the department, something they had not agreed to do in the past. The Public Safety Department has six full-time and four part-time officers who are trained to handle both police and firefighting duties.

City's Public Safety layoffs have names
The Saratogian (10/14/09)
Because of union regulations, it is already known in some departments which employees might lose their jobs if the comprehensive budget proposed by Commissioner of Finance Kenneth Ivins Jr. goes into effect on December 1. The city’s operating budget for 2010 strips funding from 27 full-time positions, and eight part-time positions, resulting in layoffs for employees occupying those roles. Due to union regulations, layoffs will be handed out in order of seniority, meaning that the most recently hired employees will be the first to go. In the fire department, Assistant Chief John Betor said seven fire fighters, including two still receiving paramedic training at the Hudson Valley Community College, could lose their jobs if the budget is adopted.

Firefighters union agrees to no raises
Springfield News Sun (10/13/09)
City commissioners approved a contract with fire fighters that calls for no raises. The two-year contract with Local 333 of the International Association of Firefighters goes into effect November 1. The contract is essentially the same as the one that expires at the end of October. It covers about 125 fire fighters. Fire fighters eligible for step raises will still receive those increases and they will continue to pay 10 percent of their health care premiums.

Firefighters burned by staff cuts
Observer & Eccentric (10/11/09)
Lower staffing numbers has at least one Birmingham fire fighter concerned about the safety of residents, even as others in department are confident they can get the job done. “It's one thing when it's our safety ... it's not the safest job anyhow,” fire fighter Larry Winkleman said. “But now they're taking the daily staffing from nine guys down to eight, which really changes the way we operate.” A memo sent from Fire Chief Michael Metz announced the city has no plans to add more fire fighters, despite a steady decline in staffing levels from 35 fire fighters to 25. Nor does the city plan to replace a retiring member who's leaving in December.

Jacksonville asks firefighters to roll back wages, benefits
Florida Times-Union (10/10/09)
Jacksonville’s firefighters' union is reviewing a contract proposal that would cut wages, restructure overtime pay and require employees to chip in for health care. It’s a move by the city to free up money amid a budget crunch. Fire union President Randy Wyse said he wasn’t surprised by the basics of the offer, which is similar to one already on the table for the police union. Wyse said he couldn’t comment further, having not reviewed the contract documents, marking the first negotiating session. The city’s chief negotiator, Leonard Carson, said if the fire fighters approve the offer, it would save the city an estimated $1.5 million this year. However, that figure is expected to change as negotiations continue. It also doesn’t include potential savings from a restructuring of the pension plan, Carson said.

Fire, Others Approve One-Year Pay Freeze
Gazette Newspapers (10/07/09)
Long Beach’s fire fighters have ratified a contract change mirroring one approved last month by police officers, but the city’s largest union apparently will take a raise and furloughs instead. Members of the Long Beach Firefighters Union voted on an agreement last weekend, and ratified it by more than 86 percent, according to union president Rich Brandt. The deal pushes an average 2.5 percent pay increase (which varied by rank) to fiscal 2011 and adds some early retirement incentives. It also guarantees that there will be no furloughs in the next year for union members. Last year, the union’s members voted to return 1.9 percent of their unused vacation and other days to make up about $700,000 instead of facing five days of furloughs. Uniformed police officers also were not furloughed, but that money was made up from the general police department budget. “We understand the economy of the nation, the state and the city, and are willing to do our part,” Brandt said. “We want the city to stay solvent and had hoped to retain staffing. This year, we’re giving back $3 million and we’re still losing some staffing. In the next six months, we’ll work with the city to evaluate the impact of that loss of staffing.”

Going On Furlough
KWQC 6 (10/07/09)
In Sterling, the city faces a $400,000 budget deficit. So, non union workers will have to take a number of furlough days by May. It's an attempt by the city to save money. The firefighters' union in Sterling has agreed to a wage concession. Union members work five hours for free during every two week pay period. By agreeing to that concession, six fire fighters who were laid off are now back to work. The city also was able to reopen a fire station which had been closed.

Madison Budget Plan Seeks Wage Freezes, Includes No Layoffs
WISC (10/07/09)
Madison homeowners could face a tax hike under a budget proposal that Madison Mayor Dave Cieslewicz announced. The plan, which comes on the heels of a proposed $38 increase in Dane County property taxes for the average Madison homeowner, would include hiking city taxes $70 next year -- a 3.8 percent increase in taxes on the average $245,000 home. Cieslewicz unveiled his 2010 budget proposal, saying that it preserves city services without layoffs or wage cuts. However, the plan counts on city employee unions agreeing to a 0 percent pay increase in each of the next two years. Already, the firefighters' union Local 311 has agreed to no pay increases for the next two years with a 3 percent increase at the end of the contract. The 3 percent hike at the end of 2011 would let the union starting bargaining a new two-year deal at the same wage level that likely would have occurred -- 1.5 percent hikes in 2010 and 2011. "We think that this is the route to go. We don't want the city to dig (itself) in a bigger hole and try to come up with raises for the employees. We do pretty well in the City," said Joe Conway, president of the Firefighters Local 311.

Budget cuts deep in Saratoga Springs
Albany Times Union (10/07/09)
The city must cut 50 jobs and more than $1 million in services, implement paid parking and raise taxes 7.8 percent to balance next year's budget. The drastic cuts and new revenue stream are necessary to avoid a nearly 40 percent tax increase next year. The meeting was attended by about 50 people, including union officials and city employees. The proposal would eliminate 50.5 positions, including seven police officers, seven fire fighters. a police investigator, a traffic control officer and an animal control officer. It would leave the city's building inspector position unfilled and not fund several garage and street laborer positions. The employee cuts would save the city $1.73 million, while the nonemployee reductions total $1.1 million.

Firefighters' concession is serious money
Record-Searchlight (10/06/09)
For all the talk of union concessions in recent months as the city of Redding has struggled to cut its budget, most of the actual deals struck have been modest. Several unions -- including the police association and the City's large Service Employees International Union -- have agreed to delay their members' scheduled raises. Those givebacks certainly are helping the City get through a disastrous year, but they're also the very minimum a taxpayer would expect. After all, handing out raises, whether they're part of negotiated contracts or not, is hard to stomach when the City's revenues have gone south so quickly. Redding's firefighters' union, however, has offered concessions that go a step further than any of their City colleagues. The International Association of Fire Fighters Local 1934 not only agreed to postpone raises scheduled to take effect over the next year, but its members will also reach deeper into their own pockets over the next year to pay for their health coverage. The deal cuts each fire fighter's take-home pay by a little over $1,800 over the next year. That's real money -- and a real service to the public by the fire crews.

City of Danbury could be at risk
Danbury News Times (10/04/09)
Allegations that City officials failed to follow their own rules when hiring fire fighters could result in nearly 40 of the city's fire fighting staff -- almost a third of the 118-member department -- losing their jobs. "This could have a significant impact on the City's ability to deliver fire prevention services for at least six months," said Elisabeth Maurer, the attorney who filed a lawsuit against the city about two years ago. City officials, however, have denied the allegations, which include nepotism. The lawsuit also alleges that city officials violated local ordinances that regulate the hiring process for fire fighters. Michael Rose, an attorney representing the City in the lawsuit, said he doubts a judge would allow any remedy that includes removing dozens of fire fighters. "I think any judge would recognize that such a remedy would put lives at risk and is not appropriate," he said. The lawsuit claims that an examination held for fire fighter applicants in 2005 was invalid because the City's rules weren't followed. As a result, according to Maurer, all of the fire fighters hired from that examination could lose their jobs.

Fighting fires, but with less
Tampabay.com (10/03/09)
Over the coming weeks, Pasco Fire Rescue officials must handle this fallout of the financial shortfall: The overtime budget has been cut so much that if enough fire fighters are out one day, engines may show up to scenes with one less person aboard than they do now. "Am I concerned?" said Assistant Chief Mike Ciccarello. "Absolutely." "It's a serious safety issue not only for fire fighters," said union president Ralph Grant, "but also an issue of time delay for service to the citizens." So what's the big deal? Even though Pasco has worked its way up in recent years to three-person engines, the County was still running one person short of the National Fire Protection Association standard that says a team of four fire fighters should arrive on the same apparatus.
That first crew should arrive within four minutes of the call, and the follow-up crews within eight minutes, says Curt Varone, the association's division manager of public fire protection.

Firefighters Union OKs Deal to Save 6 Jobs, Station 3
Food For Thought (10/02/09)
The International Association of Fire Fighters, Local 1934, has agreed to wage concessions that will prevent the closure of Fire Station No. 3 and the layoffs of six fire personnel in Redding. The IAFF Local 1934, which represents 71 Redding fire fighting personnel, approved concessions that will postpone annual step increases that would have occurred between October 2009 and October 2010. In addition, each employee will pay approximately $72.26 per pay period toward health care insurance premiums. The concessions will result in a total savings of $670,000. The Redding City Council on September 1 approved budget reductions totaling approximately $3.8 million from the General Fund, including the closure of Station No. 3. The concessions will allow the station to operate and avoid taking one of the department’s engines out of service, according to Fire Chief Kevin Kreitman. Kreitman and City Manager Kurt Starman said they were pleased that the city and Fire Fighters Association were able to work cooperatively to achieve a positive result for the citizens of Redding.

Reading mayor proposes budget that cuts 109 jobs and raises taxes
Reading Eagle (10/02/09)
Mayor Tom McMahon proposed a gutted city budget for 2010 that would cut 109 jobs -- including 45 from the police department and 28 from the fire department -- and raise property and earned-income taxes. The city has run out of the one-time fixes it has relied on to keep its budgets in balance, and the $15 million gap between income and expenses for 2010 required drastic moves, the mayor told angry City Council members. The proposed $60.9 million budget, down from $69.2 million in 2009, would raise property taxes by more than half a mill, and raise the earned-income tax by 0.5 percent.

City Going Into $180 Million Black Hole
NBC San Diego (10/02/09)
Cops and fire fighters could lose their jobs because of San Diego's record $179.1 million budget deficit, Mayor Jerry Sanders said. City residents can expect municipal service cuts to go much deeper than earlier predicted, and city workers could see another round of layoffs far more extensive than they've been warned about, all because the highest budget deficit in San Diego's history is looming, nearly twice the originally projected $100 million. The total deficit projection through the 2014-15 fiscal year: $1.33 billion. The mayor said every city department, including the traditionally "sacred cows" -- the police and fire/rescue departments -- will be subject to program cuts and layoffs.

38 Akron, Ohio Rookie Firefighters Laid Off
The Akron Beacon Journal (10/01/09)
While every one of the city's 38 laid-off firefighters expects to return to duty, when that day comes, no one knows. Akron issued notices to 201 city employees -- over half going to police officers and fire fighters -- to address a projected budget shortfall of up to $8 million by the end of the year.

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