Firefighters union, city at odds

Firefighters union, city at odds

City rejects results of wage survey saying Havre police, fire underpaid

John Kelleher

Contract talks between the firefighters union and the city of Havre will begin since the city has rejected the results of a wage survey.

Tim Evens, lead negotiator for Local 66 of the International Fire Fighters Association, said the wage survey, prepared by the Local Government Center at Montana State University in Bozeman, showed that Havre municipal employees, especially police and firefighters, were underpaid when compared to other Montana cities.

Evens — and no other union represantives — did not attend the meeting, saying he was not informed it was occurring.

City officials questioned the survey results.

"I don't want to say that this was a class project, but I think it turned out to be something like that," said City Councilman Alan "Woody" Woodwick.

The city is now in the third year of a three-year contract with the firefighters' union. The contract had a clause calling for wage discussions in the third year.

Rather than entering into formal talks, a committee was established with a city representative, a non-union employee and representatives from police, firefighter and public works employee unions to conduct the wage survey.

Evens said he had hoped the city would hire a company to perform the wage survey, but city officials insisted on the less expensive MSU study, the one the city is now rejecting.

"I think there were flaws in the survey," Fire Chief Dave Sheppard told members of the City Council's Employee Relations Committee Thursday night. "The survey is only as good as the data that goes into it."

Councilman Bob Kaul, who chairs the Employee Relations Committee, said the other two unions have not formally asked that contract talks be reopened, but he anticipates they will do so.

The committee will meet Tuesday, Oct. 26, at 7 p.m. to discuss what action to take next.

It was uncertain whether the committee will handle negotiations directly or if a professional negotiator will be hired.

The consensus seemed to be that a negotiator should be hired.

City Councilman Andrew Brekke strongly supported hiring a negotiator, saying professional expertise was needed to handle the complex negotiations.

At first, Woodwick was opposed to this action, but as committee members waded through the contract and its sometimes confusing language, he said, "I think my opposition is softening."

During the last set of negotiations, a professional negotiator was paid $24,000 for two years to handle contract talks, arbitration proceedings and other labor relations activities.

"That's a lot of money, but we don't know how much we saved by having him," Brekke said.

Interviewed after the meeting, Evens said the firefighters were "frustrated" by the lack of progress in the talks. He said he hopes that the city won't hire a professional negotiator. He would like to talk directly to council members.

He said he suspected that the paid city management was not keeping elected officials fully informed.

Evens said the firefighters' requests were not unreasonable.

"We realize the economic situation in the country," he said. "We know things are tough. We don't want to go to arbitration."

He said the union was willing to give the city five to seven years to bring the firefighters' salaries up to parity.

If contract talks remain stalled, the firefighters have the right to demand arbitration.

Contract talks between the firefighters union and the city of Havre will begin since the city has rejected the results of a wage survey.

Tim Evens, lead negotiator for Local 66 of the International Fire Fighters Association, said the wage survey, prepared by the Local Government Center at Montana State University in Bozeman, showed that Havre municipal employees, especially police and firefighters, were underpaid when compared to other Montana cities.

Evens — and no other union represantives — did not attend the meeting, saying he was not informed it was occurring.

City officials questioned the survey results.

"I don't want to say that this was a class project, but I think it turned out to be something like that," said City Councilman Alan "Woody" Woodwick.

The city is now in the third year of a three-year contract with the firefighters' union. The contract had a clause calling for wage discussions in the third year.

Rather than entering into formal talks, a committee was established with a city representative, a non-union employee and representatives from police, firefighter and public works employee unions to conduct the wage survey.

Evens said he had hoped the city would hire a company to perform the wage survey, but city officials insisted on the less expensive MSU study, the one the city is now rejecting.

"I think there were flaws in the survey," Fire Chief Dave Sheppard told members of the City Council's Employee Relations Committee Thursday night. "The survey is only as good as the data that goes into it."

Councilman Bob Kaul, who chairs the Employee Relations Committee, said the other two unions have not formally asked that contract talks be reopened, but he anticipates they will do so.

The committee will meet Tuesday, Oct. 26, at 7 p.m. to discuss what action to take next.

It was uncertain whether the committee will handle negotiations directly or if a professional negotiator will be hired.

The consensus seemed to be that a negotiator should be hired.

City Councilman Andrew Brekke strongly supported hiring a negotiator, saying professional expertise was needed to handle the complex negotiations.

At first, Woodwick was opposed to this action, but as committee members waded through the contract and its sometimes confusing language, he said, "I think my opposition is softening."

During the last set of negotiations, a professional negotiator was paid $24,000 for two years to handle contract talks, arbitration proceedings and other labor relations activities.

"That's a lot of money, but we don't know how much we saved by having him," Brekke said.

Interviewed after the meeting, Evens said the firefighters were "frustrated" by the lack of progress in the talks. He said he hopes that the city won't hire a professional negotiator. He would like to talk directly to council members.

He said he suspected that the paid city management was not keeping elected officials fully informed.

Evens said the firefighters' requests were not unreasonable.

"We realize the economic situation in the country," he said. "We know things are tough. We don't want to go to arbitration."

He said the union was willing to give the city five to seven years to bring the firefighters' salaries up to parity.

If contract talks remain stalled, the firefighters have the right to demand arbitration.