December 18, 2005 - Another "glitch" today - there are no fire-trained patrolmen on duty to respond as firefighters.
December 3, 2005 - Every year, an average of 100 U.S. firefighters die in the line of duty. This year is no different - the count as of today is 103. Support firefighter safety in your community.
November 18, 2005- I went through NFPA 1710, "Standard for the Organization and Deployment of Fire Suppression Operations, Emergency Medical Operations, and Special Operations to the Public by Career Fire Departments" recently, and found that since the City "improved" your fire protection by laying off 4 full-time personnel and replacing them with 9 cross-trained patrolmen, the Iron Mountain Fire Department does not meet the standard in 21 NEW ways. Good luck.
November 3, 2005
The letter to the editor that appeared in the Daily News on November 1st was edited. Here it is in its entirety:
Editor:
It has become apparent that there are still people in our community who think
that the Iron Mountain firefighters staged some sort of “strike” at
the Iron Mountain High School fire last April. The City Manager and the
school board member responsible for this misconception have never corrected
the misleading , or patently false, statements that were made to the public
and to the school superintendent. An Iron Mountain city councilman was
asked to arrange for Mr. Marquart to issue a press release to clear up
the bad public image he had created for the fire department with his statements,
and that councilman responded that “it’s not going to happen”.
Well, the Iron Mountain firefighters have waited long enough for the City to
correct their statements.
When Mr. Marquart was asked about the fire department’s actions at the
high school fire by the superintendent, he responded that the firefighters
should have gone in. That statement was false, and Mr. Marquart had documents
from MIOSHA proving that it was false before he made his statement.
A school board member accused the fire department of refusing to utilize a
fully-trained, fully-equipped cross-trained patrolman in order to make a point.
That statement was false. The patrolman was not fully-trained or fully-equipped.
He didn’t have an air mask, he hadn’t been fit tested, and he hadn’t
completed his training, and could not have been used for any interior operations.
Period. That’s the law.
The fire department was informed immediately that there were no persons left
in the building. Without a known rescue situation, no one can enter the atmosphere
of an interior structure fire without having assembled at least 4 fully-trained
and equipped firefighters. Period. That’s the law.
Mr. Marquart’s report to the city council regarding his investigation
into the incident was filled with false or misleading statements. In it, he
insists that the firefighters must ignore the law if the situation is an “emergency”.
Everything the fire department responds to is an emergency. You don’t
get to pick and choose which laws you want to obey, and when to ignore them.
The City should have come to the defense of its firefighters, who were following
the applicable laws and doing the best they could with the resources available
to them. It was frustrating enough for them not to be able to make immediate
entry, as they had been able to do for the previous 117 years. It was reprehensible
for the City to make the public think that they should have handled the incident
any differently with the staffing that was available.
The City never told the truth about that fire because the truth would prove
that their actions had left the city’s residents and property dangerously
unprotected (as MIOSHA found - see the report at imfd.org). That would not
serve their agenda nearly as well as hanging the fire department out to dry.
The remaining Iron Mountain fire fighters want to assure the public that we
will always provide the maximum level of service to the residents that the
City Council and City Manager permit us to do. Since our staffing is reduced
so drastically, that’s not the same level of service it used to be, but
we will continue to do our best with the resources we have.
Doug Johnson, Vice President
Iron Mountain Fire Fighters Association, IAFF Local 554
October 20, 2005
It's common knowledge by now that the Fire Chief was suspended without pay for a week recently, for refusing an order from City Manager John Marquart. The order was to immediately begin using the patrolmen as firemen, even though they had not yet completed their training.
What isn't common knowledge is that by refusing the order, the Fire Chief saved the City $350,000 in fines. That's right from the MIOSHA representative who conducted an exit interview with firefighters on Tuesday.
IMFD.org thinks the City Manager and Council owe the Chief a BIG apology, and a commendation, for doing what's right and saving their behinds.
October 19th: The TV6 news reported last night that FOUR firefighters would need to be hired when the referendum passes in November. That is incorrect. The number is 3.
October 10th: A Response to Mr. Marquart's Newspaper Article
1.Note: for the TRUTH about what MIOSHA says about your safety being undermined, click the link at the bottom of the page to view the MIOSHA report.
2. In response to Mr. Marquart's statement that the City has spent $0 on fines due to staffing: Watch out for spin. The City was cited for failing to maintain the large ladders, which require 4 men to remove from the truck and inspect. We don't have 4 men on duty anymore to perform this task, due to understaffing.
3. As far as Mr. Marquart's comment that "At any given time, the initial response to a fire will be four to five individuals", see the entry from October 6th, below.
4. "There was only one structural fire in the City in the past year". That's just false.
5. "Is it right to pay for one hundred percent of the service while actually receiving only 3 percent?" By that logic, we should also not be paying for the Army, Air Force, Navy, Marine Corps, Coast Guard, Secret Service, car insurance, home insurance, life insurance, fire extinguishers, smoke detectors, fire alarms, burglar alarms, the 911 dispatch center..........
6. "There are more individuals who are able to initially respond to any and all emergencies today than last month". That's partially true (responses to facilities with hazardous materials can still be handled only by the fully-trained full-time firefighters). But are you as safe as you were a year ago with 13 full-time firefighters? No. The fire department has essentially taken on 8 new rookies, with no experience fighting fires.
October 6, 2005
The first "glitch" has occurred. There are only 2 firefighters on
duty in the station today in our "Safer City", as a result of the
City's staff cuts in the fire department. Iron Mountain residents are depending
on TWO cross-trained patrolmen to be on-duty and responding if a fire occurs
today. Let's hope there are no fires. *Note: on October 7th it was revealed
that there were NO fire-trained patrolmen available until 3:00 p.m. that day.
*
Important Fire Issues in the News
Recent Articles have been moved to the Archived Articles page (see link above), so that we may bring you the MIOSHA report that City Manager John Marquart had in his possession long before he made his comments regarding the incident of April 7th at the Iron Mountain High School
The Citizens Committee For Quality Fire Protection
in Iron Mountain is pleased to announce that they have collected nearly double
the required number of signatures necessary to place a proposed City Charter
Amendment on the ballot this November. The amendment would require the city
to employ not less than 1.5 full time professional fire fighters per every
1,000 of population according to the last official census. This would give
the city enough fire fighters for the 2-in/2-out MIOSHA requirement for interior
fire fighting. These signatures have been presented to the City Clerk for
verification. We believe this is the first charter amendment initiated by
the people of Iron Mountain in over 50 years.
We are very pleased with the overwhelming support shown by the community. We
were hard pressed to find anyone who was not in favor of getting our full-
time fire fighter staffing level back up where it belongs. We have now seen
one full year without the quality fire protection the taxpayers have come to
expect, despite repeated hollow claims by our city government that our level
of service would not change.
You may remember that the fire fighters voiced serious concerns over the inadequate
staffing situation long before the layoffs occurred a year ago. You should
also remember that the city government passed off their concerns as "nothing
but scare tactics." We are now seeing these "scare tactics" proving
to be the truth after all. The MIOSHA report on staffing in our fire department
states: "the citizens of Iron Mountain are at increased jeopardy of losing
life and property to fire." It further states: "Absolutely no search
and rescue for unconfirmed occupants are permitted without a 2-in/2-out capability." Point
of fact, this was the situation faced by the fire department at the Iron Mountain
school fire, because of three-man fire staffing, and that school personnel
reported there was no one in the building. This staffing was the case on every
day, for response to any home or business in the past year. The fire department
has been staffed as low as two men on several occasions.
The impending change in the ISO rating has also been brought up. In the best
case, it takes three "part-paid" fire fighters to equal one full-time
fire fighter for ISO rating purposes, and it can go as high as six to equal
one in the staffing plan the City government is sticking to. Quite frankly,
it is simply not possible to maintain the class four rating with the City’s
plan. Scare tactics? No, just the simple truth.
The pulse of the community seems very strong in agreeing that the current situation
is unacceptable and has to change. In the final analysis, a strong, proactive
fire department (like we had before the layoffs) is a necessary building block
for a growing, forward-looking city. To date, all concerns brought to the city
council have fallen on deaf ears. We are confident that on election day, the
actual will of the people will finally be brought to bear on this very serious
issue.
July 1, 2005 - The Iron Mountain Fire Fighters have been working without a contract for over 2 years.
An Open Letter to the Council of the City of Iron Mountain
I finally got a copy of the report Mr. Marquart provided to the City Council regarding his “investigation” into the IMHS fire, and I am outraged.
1. Mr. Marquart accuses the fire department of “over zealous adherence to rules, regulations, standards, etc....” I can't believe that a person in a position of power such as his could make such an ignorant statement. Rules are just that, rules. They must be adhered to, regardless. If the City doesn't like the way we do our jobs just because we are following the rules, then the City had better get us the resources to do our jobs to their satisfaction within the rules. The high school fire was no surprise, and it was routine. What happened there is what will happen the next time, unless we have sufficient trained firefighters on hand to do more. That's not a threat, just a fact. You tied our hands last year, disregarding all of the warnings we gave you about how it would affect the public.
2. Mr. Marquart accuses Fire Department management of failing to allow for flexibility without threat of disciplinary action. I never needed to be told by management that I could be fired for breaking the law. I just have the common sense to know that. In case any of you don't know that, I'll repeat it now: some employers frown on their employees breaking the law. You can be fired for it, regardless of how high up the food chain you are.
3. Mr. Marquart said, “While rules and regulations are important and provide operational commonality, they must not be seen as in impediment to take action.” If the rule says, you will not go in to perform operations other than rescue of a known victim without 2-in and 2-out, then that rule MUST be seen as an impediment to take action. If the City wishes for the Fire Department to take action which is contrary to what the law states, then the City has to order us to do so. An order to firefighters takes the form of a direct order on scene, or a standing order in the form of a written policy or S.O.P. Either way, it will be an illegal order.
4. Mr. Marquart's report actually says that firefighters must have the flexibility to bend and sometimes break the rules. That is such an outrageously irresponsible statement. No one is allowed to break the law, not the firefighters, not the police, not the council, not Mr. Marquart. The City has ignored some laws in the course of altering the fire department over the past year. Mr. Marquart's report says that the firefighters should have the flexibility to do the same. Well, I'm calling your bluff. Put it in writing, if you have the guts. Otherwise, stop trying to micromanage, and let us do our jobs with the skeleton crew you've left us.
Incidentally, has it occurred to you that if everyone involved has to break rules and laws in order to make your agenda come to fruition, then maybe you're doing the wrong thing?
The school board demanded that Council provide answers to certain questions. Mr. Marquart's report leaves those questions unanswered, or worse, vaguely places blame on the full-time firefighters with their “attitude”. I agree that those questions need to be answered, and as loudly and as publicly as they were presented. That is your responsibility, and it should not be ignored just because some time has gone by. Tell the school board and the public the TRUTH.
THE LETTER TO THE EDITOR THAT APPEARED IN THE DAILY
NEWS ON FRIDAY, APRIL 22ND, 2005, WAS EDITED BY THE NEWSPAPER, AND SOME
PRETTY IMPORTANT INFORMATION WAS REMOVED. IN THE INTEREST OF KEEPING THE
PUBLIC FULLY-INFORMED, WE HAVE PROVIDED THE LETTER IN ITS ORIGINAL ENTIRETY
WITH THE EDITED PORTIONS IN BOLD ITALICS, SO YOU CAN SEE WHAT THE PAPER
LEFT OUT. CLICK HERE.
THERE ARE ONLY 2 FIREFIGHTERS ON DUTY TODAY, WEDNESDAY, MAY 25, UNTIL 7:30 P.M. TONIGHT. THIS IS DUE TO THE CITY'S CONTINUING POLICY OF UNDERSTAFFING THE FIRE DEPARTMENT. THERE ARE NOT ENOUGH PERSONNEL LEFT TO FILL THE POSITIONS OF THOSE WHO ARE OFF ON VACATION OR PERSONAL LEAVE TIME.
April 8, 2005
On the TV6 News on September 1st, 2004, City Manager John Marquart said: "We will continue to provide the service that the residents have come to expect. "
From the Daily News on Friday, April 8, 2005, following a fire the previous
day at Iron Mountain High School:
“ It’s unbelievable what happened,” said Denny Chartier, Iron
Mountain School Superintendent. “I am highly disappointed in the way the
Iron Mountain Fire Department had to handle the situation. We have a school building
on fire and the three firefighters on the scene had to wait for additional off
duty firefighters to show up to finally extinguish the flames. They (the fire
department) told me emergency guidelines state they had to have at least four
firefighters on the scene to take care of this kind of situation, ” Chartier
said.
March 30, 2005
A Firefighter’s Response to Remarks
made by
Iron Mountain City Manager John Marquart,
or,
“ Iron Mountain is Teetering”
“The TIFA has a policy of not capturing
bonding millage voted by the citizens”. The Daily News, 3-30-05.
In January, Mr. Marquart, as the Chair of the Police and Fire Pension Board,
told the other board members that a millage increase is needed to raise more
revenue for the pension system, even though the City has not put all of the
money it has collected for the pension into the pension system. For those who
may NOT know, TIFA also captures over $100,000 per year of Police and Fire
Pension millage. That’s 27% of the total amount that shows up on your
tax bills as “Police and Fire Pension”, and it’s growing
every year. I say to you: why doesn’t TIFA extend the above-mentioned
policy to the Police and Fire Pension millage, allowing the pension system
to collect all of its millage, instead of having it go to TIFA for road projects
and parking lots?
“A year has gone by and what has
been accomplished?” The Daily News, 3-30-05.
- Finally, something we can agree on.
“ I say, TIFA is not a problem, but a big factor in the solution”.The
Daily News, 3-30-05.
I say, when you have a huge cash cow that pays for infrastructure while you
claim to be too poor to provide enough personnel to safely and effectively
fight a fire, then you’ve got your priorities wrong. When someone’s
house is on fire, do they really care how smooth the street is out front?
“ TIFA is allowing us to address the city’s inherent fiscal problems”.
The Daily News, 3-30-05.
So, then, we WILL be getting money from the cash cow for essential services?
“ Finally, we need to begin discussions to address the provision of services
on a regional basis. We must collaborate with our neighbors in how we purchase,
acquire equipment, advance technology, schedule our resources, etc.” The
Daily News, 3-30-05.
In case some of you didn’t catch that, “schedule our resources” can
include using police, fire, admin staff,and DPW personnel (why, just about
everybody except the City Manager!) between the cities of Iron Mountain and
Kingsford in coordinated work schedules, so that when personnel are scheduled
to work in one city, they don’t have to work in the other, thereby saving
money. Understand, what’s not being said is that this will result in
fewer personnel working for either city. For example, you have a fire in Kingsford.
You get 1 or 2 firefighters from Iron Mountain, maybe Iron Mountain’s
police patrol on duty (if they continue their Firefighter I training and then
complete Firefighter II, ICS, HazMat Operations......), and whoever is available
to bring Kingsford’s truck to your fire. You see, this arrangement would
allow the 2 cities to NOT fill overtime when crews are short-handed. And, in
the meantime, who’s covering police and fire protection in Iron Mountain?
In Kingsford?
“The city agreed with their request
to have four members on an engine, however it is our contention that we
could meet that need with less people.” The Daily News, August 2004.
Ah, yes, this old gem. 6 months later, you’re still running with 3-man
crews. Let’s see that plan of yours that puts 4 people on an engine minus
those 4 full-time firefighters you laid off for “economic reasons”.
“ Let me hear from you”.
The Daily News, 3-30-05.
You heard him, folks. Call him, write him, but let him know what’s important
to you. If you think a minimum standard of fire protection should be a priority
over parks, bandshells, street rehabilitation, and trying to resuscitate the
downtown, call and tell him.
December 30, 2004
The Truth About the Patrolmen's Contract
Note: As of this date, our understanding is that all parties have not yet signed the contract. We had previously assumed that they had, since the City made such a fuss about it in the media.
I have before me a copy of the new contract between
the City and the Patrolmen’s Union. It is the version that both sides
have agreed to. Noteworthy, however, is that no one has signed it yet.
Article 20, Section 1, states that the City and Union agree that members of
the bargaining unit who choose to become fire trained will be certified, at
a minimum, Firefighter I. Employees who sign up for the training will receive
a $1,500.00 bonus. Employees who become certified as Firefighter I shall receive
an additional bonus of $1,500.00. Unit members will only be required to train/perform
to the requirements of the State of Michigan to become Firefighter I trained.
Let’s stop there and look at what we have so far. Each patrolman who
chooses to do so (each individual may decide to train or not to train) may
take city-funded training to become Firefighter I certified. If they do so
and complete the training, they will each receive a total bonus of $3,000.00.
But wait, there’s more!
“The City shall pay an annual bonus of $3,000 to each member who maintains
a Firefighter I certification and a $4,000 annual bonus to each member who maintains
a Firefighter 2 certification.” What I’m about to tell you I’ve
already expressed to the Mayor and a councilman. Either they didn’t believe
me, or they don’t care. But, when a person attains Firefighter II certification,
they still hold Firefighter I certification. They don’t surrender it to
achieve Firefighter II. They are different sets of skills. So, look at that annual
bonus shown above. Each patrolman who attains Firefighter II will actually receive
a $7,000 bonus every year! I have heard patrolmen repeatedly
denying that they would receive more than $4000.00, but the contract language
says differently, and the City knew it before they approved the contract.
Article 20, Section 4, defines what fire response the patrolmen will be required
to make. They will be required to carry their firefighting equipment in their
assigned patrol car and will respond to fire calls while on duty. That’s
it. They are not required to respond from home. They are not required to come
in for a major fire. So, despite Mr. Marquart’s remarks about having “10
more individuals able to assist at the scene”, the residents can only
expect to get the 2 that are in a squad car at the time. That's once they're
trained. Right now, the residents are only getting 3 firefighters, because
of the layoffs that occurred in September.
One last point: the patrolmen were appointed to the Fire Department by the
Council in October. According to state law, full-time firefighters have to
complete Firefighter I and II within one year of becoming a member of
a fire department. And, in spite of what the council has called them, these
patrolmen are not volunteers. Recently I heard Mr. Marquart on the radio saying
that the patrolmen “volunteered” to be trained as firefighters.
I guess that’s true, in the same sense that I and my fellow firefighters “volunteered” to
be firefighters when we agreed to work for the City as firefighters. Mr. Marquart “volunteered” to
perform as the City Manager when he took the job last winter. Are any of us
volunteers? No. The patrolmen, once trained, are contractually obligated to
fight fires in order to receive their regular paychecks; therefore, they are
not volunteers. We know it, the Michigan Fire Fighters Training Council knows
it, and the Michigan State Fire Marshal knows it, and countless laws such as
the Fair Labor Standards Act will not recognize them as volunteers.
Why wouldn’t the City just come out and say that they are attempting
to create a Public Safety department? There are many reasons, and they all
involve laws that would not allow them to do what they are doing.
December 14, 2004
Iron Mountain Patrolmen Agree to Serve the City Council as Non-Union Replacement Workers
9 patrolmen of the Iron Mountain Police Department have agreed to perform work formerly performed by the Iron Mountain Firefighters Association Local 554, in return for large bonuses and implied job security. (We will provide more details once we see the official copy of the new patrolmen's contract).
Spokesmen for the Patrolmen's Union have been heard to remark that they are just “filling a void” in the City's firefighting staffing levels.
The Fire Department was reduced by 4 members on September 1st, just 103 days prior to the patrolmen signing their new contract in which they agreed to “fill the void.”
Show your support! Download a picture for your computer desktop background below:
November 13, 2004
The Union wishes to thank all those who helped us at the East “B” Street house fire on November 11th. Thanks to Kingsford Public Safety, Iron Mountain Public Works, Beacon Ambulance, American Red Cross, Dickinson County Sheriff Dept. Dispatch Center, and whoever else I'm forgetting. Special thanks go to Dan's neighbors and friends and to Todd Bouffiou. And our most heartfelt thanks go out to laid-off Iron Mountain firefighters Jeff Friedenstab, Patrick Randall, and Steve Servia, who by their unselfish actions have proven that you can take the firefighter out of the fire department, but he's still a firefighter. Thanks for your help and caring, guys. We really could have used you at that fire in an official capacity. Let's hope the blinders come off soon.
Shown below is laid-off Iron Mountain firefighter Steve Servia changing an air bottle for physically-exhausted Lt. Chuck Lauersdorf at the fire scene, because we were too short-handed to do it for him as promptly as the situation required.
November 11, 2004
Residents of Iron Mountain are still experiencing understaffing in the fire department. Search and rescue situations are dependent upon the arrival of Kingsford Public Safety on the scene, and Kingsford has promised to pull out of the Automatic Aid agreement by December 31st due to the disparity between the response expectations in the two cities. It's very fortunate that no occupied homes in Iron Mountain have been involved in serious fire or carbon monoxide incidents recently.
October 21, 2004
Overtime in the Fire Department, which had
been excessive since the
layoffs of September 1st, has been drastically reduced in recent
weeks.
The City has changed the daily staffing level to 3 men, rather
than
the nationally-recognized minimum of 4 which had been the previous
policy.
October 9th, 2004:
The following facts should be of interest to the residents of Iron Mountain:
1. The City laid off 4 full-time firefighters on September 1st, citing economic reasons.
2. The City appointed 9 patrolmen and a volunteer to the Fire Department on October 4th.
3. Act 78 of 1935 says: “ If for reasons of economy it shall be deemed necessary by any city, village, or municipality to reduce the number of full-time paid members of any fire or police department, the municipality shall follow the following procedure: Removals shall be accomplished by suspending in numerical order, commencing with the last employee appointed to the fire or police department, all recent appointees to the fire or police department until the reductions are made. However, if the fire or police department increases in numbers to the strength existing before the reductions were made, the fire fighters or police officers suspended last under this act shall be reinstated before any new appointments to the fire or police department are made. “
October 4th, 2004:
Firefighters Prevail in Civil Service Commission Hearing
Charges imposed by City Manager John Marquart against Iron Mountain Firefighter/Kingsford resident Doug Johnson for speaking at a Kingsford City Council meeting and for mentioning "understaffing" in a radio message were found to be baseless at a hearing on Monday, October 4th. Doug Johnson had been placed on "indefinite unpaid suspension", which lasted for 4 days, resulting in one 24-hour shift being missed. The Commission ordered the charges removed from the permanent personnel files, and wages for the missed shift to be paid. The firefighters' argument was presented by Kevin Pirlot, 1st District Vice President, Michigan Professional Fire Fighters Union. The City chose not to attend the hearing.
September 2, 2004:
On the TV6 News on September 1st, City Manager John Marquart said: "We will continue to provide the service that the residents have come to expect."
That statement is incorrect. As a result of the layoffs, Iron Mountain residents are receiving less than a 4-man crew for the first time in decades. Immediate entry and rescue is now impossible.
The City Manager and some members of the Council have crippled your fire department. Call on the Council to stand up and speak up for what's right.
September 1, 2004:
Fire Department Understaffing On Schedule
Four Iron Mountain Fire Department employees have been laid off as of Wednesday, Sept. 1st. The City claims that the layoffs are necessary as a part of cost cutting measures in an effort to have a balanced budget for the 2004-2005 fiscal year.
What the public may not know is that there were other options presented to the City Council by the City Manager for a balanced budget, and one of those included NO layoffs.
While the City has continued to claim that there will be no reduction in fire protection in Iron Mountain as a result of the layoffs, the firefighters' union has stated the opposite all along. The Union's concern has been that the reductions did not leave sufficient personnel to provide 4 men responding on an engine, which is the industry minimum standard that the department has been meeting for decades. 4 personnel are required on a fire scene before entry can take place, per OSHA.
As predicted, Iron Mountain residents now have a reduced level of fire and life safety protection. On September 1st, as a result of the layoffs,there were only 3 firefighters on duty to respond, and there were not enough available personnel remaining to fill the overtime. Today, September 2nd, there are only 2 personnel on duty to respond. If you live in Iron Mountain and have a fire in your home right now, you will get 2 firefighters arriving on the truck, and 2 firefighters can't go in to fight the fire.
I would suggest at this point that it might be time for the residents of Iron Mountain to call the City Manager and the City Council and ask them why they claimed to have a plan in place that would prevent a drop in the level of fire protection when the layoffs occurred. See if they can RECALL what they had in mind.
--
Doug Johnson
August 30,2004: The City Council met tonight in a closed session to discuss the negotiations with the fire department. All we know for sure is that they did not vote on any issues (in open session). We also know that a few words were used, loudly, that did NOT come up in negotiations with the Fire Department....words like "squad car" and "patrolman's salaries" and "cross-training".
August 28, 2004
A Firefighter's Responses to Comments Made by the City Manager in the Daily News
or,
Why You Shouldn't Believe Everything You Read in the News
Iron Mountain City Manager John Marquart responded to the union
statement today.
“
First, the $70-$100,000 in supposed savings was a ‘back of the envelop’ calculation
during a negotiating session and was not agreed to." (BECAUSE
THE CITY TURNED DOWN OUR OFFER)
"Point in fact, it was not offered, only discussed." (IT WAS OFFERED. CARE TO SEE IT?)
"In fact, there were several other possible duties that bargaining unit members could do that we haven’t even had the time to discuss or put a dollar cost to." (WE'VE BEEN BARGAINING SINCE MAY OF 2003....AND YOU HAVEN'T HAD TIME?)
"In the latest proposal to the city by the union, several of these potential other duties we discussed were not mentioned. Obviously, this is an issue still to be fleshed out,” Marquart said. (DUE TO THE TIME CRUNCH THE CITY HAS CREATED, WE ADDED CONTRACT LANGUAGE THAT RECOGNIZED THE NEED TO DISCUSS AND POSSIBLY ADD DUTIES DURING THE TENURE OF THE CONTRACT).
“
The union says their proposal is concessionary since it provides for a tripling
of the current contribution to the city for health insurance,” Marquart
said. “Currently, bargaining unit members pay to the city $208 per year
for health insurance. Thus, tripling the amount raises the contribution to
$624 per year, a figure that barely covers one month premium for single coverage
and only one half a month for full dependent care coverage. Hardly a concession.
They did agree to accept CB PPO Option 10, which is what we have proposed to
all bargaining units. As for retirement, they agreed that retires shall pay
the $624 per year and the city will provide two person coverage only. The union
did not agree to a cap of dollars paid nor did they address the idea of going
off the city coverage at age 65. Should a member retire with a dependent child,
the retiree would cover that child. Most retirees (age 50 and over) do not
have dependent children at the time of retirement, so their ‘concession’ is
not worth much,” he said." (REVEALING SPECIFICS OF CONTRACT
ITEMS OUTSIDE OF THE BARGAINING ROOM DURING BARGAINING IS NOT "GOOD FAITH
BARGAINING").
“
The city and union have discussed the issue of bargaining unit members performing
additional duties to either raise revenue or eliminate expenditures for the
city as discussed above. The city agreed with their request to have four members
on an engine, however it is our contention that we could meet that need with
less people,” Marquart said." (IT IS OUR CONTENTION THAT
YOU COULD NOT. AND THE WORD YOU WANTED WAS "FEWER", NOT "LESS".)
“
We acknowledged that such a schedule would entail additional overtime." (DID
I MISS A MEETING?)
"The city’s proposal to meet their need of four members on an engine was rejected by the union. Their sole endeavor is to keep the status quo as it relates to man power,” he said. (THE CITY DID NOT PROVIDE A PROPOSAL THAT WOULD PLACE 4 MEMBERS ON AN ENGINE. OUR ENDEAVOR IS TO PROVIDE AT LEAST THE INDUSTRY-STANDARD MINIMUM FIREFIGHTING AND RESCUE CAPABILITY TO THE RESIDENTS OF IRON MOUNTAIN. IT SHOULD BE YOUR ENDEAVOR ALSO)
.
“
In fact they have publicly stated that they are understaffed and are demanding
that the city hire additional firefighters,” Marquart said.(WE
HAVE BEEN SHORT ONE FIREFIGHTER SINCE 2001. THE CITY HAS REFUSED TO HIRE A
REPLACEMENT, CITING A "CITY-WIDE HIRING FREEZE". THE CITY CHOSE TO
HIRE IN OTHER DEPARTMENTS DURING THAT TIME, HOWEVER).
“
At this point, it is the plan to reduce the staff on Sept 1,
2004, by four firefighters. The city has offered to continue discussions
and work toward an acceptable agreement,” Marquart said. (I
AM ON THE BARGAINING COMMITTEE. WE HAVE NOT RECEIVED ANY INVITATIONS TO
CONTINUE DISCUSSIONS FROM THE CITY.)
“
It is unfortunate that the union has chosen to bring the collective bargaining
process into the public specter. It has and continues to be the position of
the city to bargain in good faith, to bargain confidentially and work hard
to achieve a good agreement,” he said. (THE CITY IS NOT BARGAINING
IN GOOD FAITH, AND THIS ARTICLE REVEALS ITEMS THAT ARE SUPPOSED TO BE CONFIDENTIAL.)
“
Should the union wish to begin bargaining in public, the city will no alternative
but to respond to and take future positions public,” Marquart said. (SHOULD
I TELL THE PUBLIC JUST HOW THE CITY HAS FAILED TO BARGAIN IN GOOD FAITH?)