Monday, September 18, 2017

Benefits


This week the Fire Union will meet with the City Manager and the Fire Chief to see what the benefits package for the firefighters will look like going forward.  The Union will be representing the 328 firefighters and the City will have to consider what the fire department will look like under the conditions set forth in Part 143 or Civil Service.  Now the Union can negotiate until the vehicle of Meet and Confer goes away, which is around November 30th.  Civil Service will be instituted on October 30th and the deadline to put in retirement papers under the current benefits package is September 30th.  So those are the time restraints that the participants have to operate under.  What is at stake here is all the benefits that the City offered and negotiated under Part 142 which is the Municipal protection and benefits package currently being utilized.  The Union asked the citizens to give them permission to operate under the Part 143 or the State protection and benefits package, which you authorized in May at the ballot box.  What is important to understand is that the City Council has stated that the benefits package that the firefighters currently operate under will be removed.  Everything that was accrued under the Municipal package will not move forward into the State package.  I have stated this many times on this blog site, prior to the election date, and now the process of negotiating  what benefits the firefighters receive is about to be determined. 
Now obviously the firefighters would like the protections of Civil Service AND the current benefits offered to them by the City.  As a matter of fact they even refer to them as OUR benefits.  Well, the reality of the situation is that the City benefits don’t transfer unless they are negotiated.  Civil Service offers firefighters protections that no other city employee has, and as Part 143 is instituted and the firefighters move to those State protections then they no longer deserve the Municipal benefits.  It is well known that Arlington offers a very generous benefits package, probably the best in the Metroplex.  But the firefighters knew this going into the election process.  These are what they are giving up:

401K Match                       EMT Pay                            Stability Pay                        Paramedic Pay
Longevity Pay                    Educational Incentive     Acting/Out of Class           Sick Leave Sellback
HazMat Pay                       Positional Pay                   Divers Pay                           Language Pay
Investigator/EOD             Incident Tech Bonus        Swing Pay                            Meet and Confer

This is what they will gain or retain:
Base pay                              Longevity pay                    Hiring Guidelines              Promotional Guidelines
Disciplinary Guidelines     Holiday Pay

Now what is important to realize is that the police department doesn’t have all these pays and they are not Civil Service.  For instance there is no SWAT pay, etc..  So I’m sorry but the firefighters knew all of this going into the election.  It is time for the City to institute Civil Service and it is time for the firefighters to give back all of the benefits provided by the city.  Now I know that this hurts some very good employees at the fire department, but whether the benefit stays or it goes is now in the hands of the negotiating process, and the players at the table.  The Council will only approve or disapprove the final outcome.

5 comments:

  1. Why would the firefighters want to negotiate with terrorist, the mayor and council, terrorist.

    Jamie Svedt

    ReplyDelete
  2. If I were a firefighter I might want to get back some of the benefits that the Union thoughtlessly got rid of. That is why I would want to negotiate. But if your good with Part 143 then don't negotiate. I just want you to know that when I get comments that the firefighters send me that are too rude or outrageous to post it simply strengthens my resolve that the stance that I have taken with the Fire Union is the right one. Thank you for calling me all of those names and not understanding what you are giving up. Speaking of losing your benefits, has the Union President come to you and explained to you what I have posted here. Or is he still telling everyone that your benefits are safe. I have posted the truth on this blog, what is he telling you.

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  3. As a long time member of the Arlington Fire Department, I have opposed a move toward seeking implementation of the archaic state civil service laws (chapter 143). Why? Because the Arlington Fire Department is a phenomenal department with innovative service delivery models that provide cost efficient services to those we serve. What makes us great? Quite simply, our people are what sets us apart from others. IF our hiring and promotional systems were as bad as the union proclaimed in their rhetoric filled campaign, how in the world did we manage to hire and promote the high quality individuals in the department? Why is the AFD so good? Did it accidentally happen? Discipline; if you were suspended or terminated, you earned it. I seriously doubt that the citizens of Arlington would approve of the conduct that has led to the higher levels of discipline. Or maybe they think it's ok to sexually assault women and remain an Arlington firefighter? (it's amazing what one can learn through open records requests!)
    In addition I opposed 143 because I listened to our City Council pre election when it was made clear that if we wanted 143, that is exactly what we would get. And, that any costs associated with implementing this unneeded and extra layer of bureaucracy would come from us through a reduction in benefits that far exceeded most nearby cities. I believed them...many chose to call their bluff.

    We are now in a one- time position to consider conceding some of the 143 provisions in return for holding on to some of our exceptional benefits. I don't want to lose anything ,but, if we do, we shouldn't be surprised. We were told this in advance.
    Nothing was broken...in fact, AFD set the bar for high quality. 143 breeds nothing but mediocrity. It is unfortunate that a small disgruntled group of bullies WANTS mediocrity so that they can promote. They don't want an assessment center as part of the promotional process because they don't have the skill set to demonstrate they can actually do the job. What Arlington citizen would want their firefighters to promote based solely on a written test with no requirement to demonstrate they can actually drive or operate the fire truck? Or, have no ability to manage others effectively or properly manage an emergency incident as a supervisor .

    Now these renegades are desperate in their attempt to derail a potential compromise. To the point of calling Mr. Parker names, intentionally inciting him in an attempt to ensure no compromise occurs. Truly pathetic and embarrassing.

    Remaining anonymous to avoid retaliation from the bullies.

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  4. DO NOT NEGOTIATE!! DON'T LET POLITICAL CROOKS TAKE AWAY OUR RIGHTS! WE AGREED TO CIVIL SERVICE AS A GROUP. WHAT EVER PARKER TAKES, WE WILL GET BACK. HE IS GONE IN A FEW MONTHS AND NO ONE WILL EVEN REMEMBER HIS NAME.

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  5. I have posted these last two comments so that you can see the differences in attitudes inside the fire house. Notice that one seems reasonable and the other is not. The sensible one signs off as "Remaining anonymous to avoid retaliation from bullies." Isn't that a sad statement that Bullies in the fire department are running the asylum and not the fair-minded. Negotiations will start today. I hope they are successful because many of the benefits were given in a sense of understand and cooperation. That sentiment has floated under the bridge and out to sea. Now we have a win lose mentality. The real losers are the people of Arlington that have been paying those benefits and expect some gratitude for their tax dollars. But the current leadership at the Union will show their collective colors today at the table. I feel that the city holds most of the cards that the rank and file would like to have back. The question is what is the Union President's ego prepared to give back.

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