Connellsville council, fire department agree on contract
CONNELLSVILLE – After nearly six months of negotiations, city council and the four-man fire department have agreed on a three-year contract. “I’m glad that the contract was settled without going into arbitration,” Mayor Judy Reed said. “The arbitration process can sometimes outweigh any received monetary amount in addition to the cost to the city.”
The previous contract expired Dec. 31.
In January, the International Association of Fire Fighters Local 1917 agreed to delay a scheduled arbitration hearing in order to conduct negotiations with the then-newly installed city administration.
In the new pact, the members will receive a first-year adjusted salary increase to bring the department in line with other city workers, as well as a 4-percent pay raise in the second and third years, according to city Councilman John Whalen, who serves as director of public health and safety.
“I wanted to make sure there was parity among the uniformed employees,” Whalen said.
The revised amounts range from about $2,000 to $4,000, compared to the annual salaries paid in 2001.
The contract also gives the employees an increased clothing allowance and an additional personal day.
According to Dennis Petrowski, union president, the pact also revises the complaint procedure.
“That probably took us the longest to work out,” he said.
In the agreement, after the grievance matter has been discussed between the two sides, if the firefighter is not satisfied with the city council’s decision, the employee has the ability to ask for an arbitration hearing.
“In the last contract, the city council had the final word,” said Petrowski. “Now, an independent panel will make the decision that will be binding on both the city and department.”
The panel, according to the contract, will consist of one representative from the city and department and a third, mutually agreed upon, neutral person who will preside over the hearing.
The new contract does not include language that would require the department to participate in non-emergency dispatching duties in connection with the police department.
“This practice (of firefighters dispatching telephone calls for the police department) began with the past administration,” said Whalen. “The reason for this was never clear to me. If they had been answering true emergency calls, it may have been different.
“Also, had it been an agreement between the parties, it may have been more readily accepted.”
After the departure of Fayette EMS as dispatchers in 1999, the firefighters were instructed to provide six-hour daily coverage at the police station to handle non-emergency calls and public inquiries and watch over those lodged at the station.
Fayette EMS provided the services while housed at the station.
After reaching a tentative agreement with the city in April, the firefighters ended the service.
“We’re all pleased with the contract,” said Petrowski. “We’re glad it’s over.”
The new pact is retroactive to Jan. 1.