Last night I witnessed something that I didn’t want to
see. The Council voted 8-1 to remove
spouses from City insurance if the spouse could get healthcare insurance
elsewhere. I was the one vote in
descent. The reason for my no vote was
because this didn’t have to happen. But
it did. Several Firemen were in
attendance and it is because of their union APFA, that this occurred in the
first place. The City was prepared to
give employees a 3% raise across the board with a 4% raise to the
firefighters. It was their union leader
that rejected this amount. Police and
Staff were very happy, but not the Firefighters Union. They wanted more. So the City Manager went to work to get them
more.
By removing the spouses from the protection of the City’s
healthcare umbrella he could save $1.2 million.
Couple this with a few other innovative ideas and he was able to come up
with another 1.5%. I had a solution to
the problem avoiding this outcome, but it was summarily dismissed by the
Council and a vote was taken to remove the spouse. Now here’s the rub. APFA leadership will never give Trey credit
in dollars for benefits. That’s the
problem. Trey provides a package and
APFA leadership only cares about W-2.
That is unfortunate for the rest of the employees that work for the City
because benefits are a big part of why they want to work here.
Last night APFA leadership had Firefighters in the audience,
and everyone that spoke stated the City was giving raises on the backs of the
employees. Well we didn’t give you the
first 4% and ask you to do anything. But
when the last 1.5% required something of you then squawking about taking
something from the employees was the theme song. Greed isn’t always good, and sometimes it has
its consequences. This didn’t have to be this way, but the greed
of one man made it happen. I think that
it is time for him to own up to that responsibility.
We don’t know what will happen with Healthcare in the
future. There might come a time when the
City will no longer be able to provide healthcare insurance to its employees at
all. Then we can give firefighters an
even bigger raise. APFA has cast me as
the bad guy because they won’t take responsibility for their actions. That’s fine I’m a big boy and can take their
brunt and I know how Unions work. The
problem is that I like the firefighters, they are good people and perform a
great service to the Community. It is
unfortunate and embarrassing that current AFPA leadership will never get along
with Department leadership. I have
always counseled them to take the high road.
This is what happens when you don’t.
The timing of your article is questionable to say the least. I guess modesty and respect are not at all within your vocabulary.
ReplyDeleteActually the timing of my article was right after the meeting. So if that is questionable then that is your issue. As for respect it is earned. I feel that I am getting no respect from APFA leadership. Is that supposed to be reciprocal? Concerning modesty, I am trying to fix a problem caused by APFA leadership that is affecting 900 households of city employees. I had a solution to problems caused by greed, that affected police and staff families, not just fire. Try going to your leadership for answers. All they do is lay blame on someone other that themselves.
ReplyDeleteIn the last 24 hrs. this topic has had over 700 views. In the last 3 yrs. of this blog over 51,000 people have visited this site for information. I thank you for your support, and please keep visiting.
ReplyDeleteOver 900 yesterday and 300 so far today. Thanks for being informed.
DeleteCharlie Parker, you are a liar and a deceiver.
ReplyDeleteJay Hummel !!!!!!!
What is the lie? Where is the deception? Be specific don't just call me names. You are better than that.
DeleteWho is greedy Mr.Parker ? You wrote that greed is the problem. That is a blanket statement that is not true. In past blogs you have written overtime amounts that are not true. Firefighter do not make what you wrote , nor are they greedy. The fire department is made up of suppression, prevention, dispatch and Emergency management which also has the office of special events. Make it clear where the overtime is going. Do not lump every individual into the rank of firefighter and do not say the APFA is greedy. The ones I know are not.
DeleteS.Smith
APFA shouldn't have a voice for the entire city. They already speak on behalf of all due paying members without consulting or voting. Administration and Council need to mute David Crow/Eboard. I pay my dues...don't get a vote, now I get to lay in the mess. Wow am I proud to be an Arlington Firefighter. Unbelievable
ReplyDeleteYou should be proud!!!!! This is something temporary. The Council members feel terrible out this. There is still time for change and I have faith in them. I am out of town but their heart is in the right spot.
DeleteThanks for your efforts. Know that not all the Firefighters are members of this association nor agree with their tactics. We too are disappointed in their selfish stance.
ReplyDeleteThank you. And know too that I am a big fan of the department, this is not indicative of the department as a whole. You guys do a great job.
ReplyDeleteInteresting- on one hand, benefits are part of a costly "package," on the other hand "overtime" should be eliminated because it's "cheaper" to hire 18 more firefighters. Mr. Parker, according to lessons learned in the course of earning my MPA, these two things cannot both be categorically true. Please work with actual figures over the course of decades, not a knee jerk reaction to emotions of today. Think strategically for all. Be worthy of being remembered, not reviled. You chose to lead, then LEAD.
ReplyDelete
ReplyDeleteLet me ask just a few simple questions brought to me in APFA's book. 1. Is being staffed at 84 firefighters per shift only 44% of the time acceptable to you? 2. We are the Fire Department with the fewest number of firefighters per capita by a long shot in the Metroplex and no. 2 in overtime behind Ft. Worth. Do you consider that normal? 3. Some Firefighters get $32,000 in overtime, do you consider this normal? 4.APFA requested $15 million in their book for the next 5 yrs. for overtime, do you consider this reasonable? Lastly, have you ever in your life heard of a Union of any type object to more people being hired? We spent 2.5 and 2.3 million in overtime during the last two years respectively. Really for 300 badges! If you answered any of the above questions as "yes" then re-check the torque on your bolts. These are all facts brought to me by APFA leadership in their book. Read the book.
Mr.Parker , you are being very deceptive with facts. An actual firefighter made 32,000 in overtime?
DeleteNot everyone is a firefighter from my understanding, there are Chiefs, Battalion Chiefs, Captains, they are not firefighters. That is the same as saying a soldier in the military makes over 100,000 a year. It's a General or high ranking officer making that not a grunt. What rank made 32,000 dollars?
What part of the fire department do they work in, Communication, Prevention, Emergency management, special events. Be clear. This does not seem like accurate info.
S.Smith
2012 F-2 made $32,386.20
Delete2013 F-4 made $30,211.51
2014 F-5 made $33,598.75
I will not publish the names.
These look like fire prevention figures or overtime figures for chiefs not firefighters. Be specific.
DeleteAgain you're being deceptive with the facts and figures.
Are these overtime figures you're throwing out special events overtime(which are payed for by the Cowboys and Rangers, not the city?) or are these dollars payed by COA to these firefighters?
DeleteAre you including the overtime that is automatically built in to every paycheck to come up with your $32k?
Are you intentionally being deceptive or are you being fed the wrong numbers?
The overtime numbers are only City of Arlington. Jerry and Ray pay a separate W-2 for special events. The overtime number includes mandatory overtime working for the City of Arlington. The average for the top 10 overtime earners for FY12 was $24,475 FY13 was $24,473 FY14 was $17,838. Each of these yrs. top 10 have F1 through F5 firefighters.
DeleteWhy can't the city stick with the 4% increase originally proposed and leave spouses on the cities insurance instead of seeking to appease the union with a higher increase and removal of spouses? Is this not an option?
ReplyDeleteAt the last City Council meeting I proposed an option that still gave the 1.5% raise and only cost the employee $120. This was dismissed by Ms Capehart. I specifically asked if she was including the option in her motion and she refused. The 4% option was dismissed by APFA as not enough. So now the APFA wants to maintain the spouse and still get the raise. This won't happen.
ReplyDeleteThe spouse removal is common practice in the business world. I can't tell you where healthcare is going to wind up. All I know is it's getting out of hand and the insurance people are prospering. Council approved the budget last week and will approve it again tonight. The APFA sees the error of being greedy, but this is what it took.
I'd quit the APFFA if I could without retaliation, ridicule and bullying...like at the meetings when someone says something that those captains and e board dont like. Sucks to be new to this place, not what I thought firefighters were like.
ReplyDeleteHold the line Mr Parker....Crow doesn't speak for me. And I'm a member.
ReplyDeleteMr. Parker,
ReplyDeleteRe-check the torque on my bolts? Is that a legitimate response? "Overtime" is just a word. Call it what you want, but it is personnel costs plain and simple. Do you want your employees working extra hours for you, improving and expanding their experiences, or somewhere else? Spouse removal is not common in the business world- check your bolts as it were. 1.5% or even 4%, really? You want to compare to the business world? In the last ten years, my wife's salary has increased 100% with no change in title and a slight decrease in responsibility. If we are comparing to the business world, then let's keep up...that would mean I should be making about $60, 000 more. You can remove my spouse from insurance for that amount. Of course, please keep that up year after year, decade after decade. You can't promise that; you won't be here. But, we will, still doing our jobs protecting and serving. I did not reference APFFA's silly book; I've checked facts for myself without bias from either side or "language." I will take your suggestion and refrain from reading a politically motivated and uneducated blog any more. I say again sir- please do not engage in rhetoric- LEAD. You have the training and experience- please LEAD.
Actually if you answered any of my above questions yes, then it is an appropriate response. So you didn't read the "silly" book and your are eager to comment. It sounds to me like you should get a job where your wife works. It also sounds like you should go on her insurance plan. I can give you examples all day long where people are getting pay cuts, or being fired. Check HP laying off thousands in yesterday's paper. How would you like to be working in the gas and oil industry about now. Look if you are a firefighter statistics tell me you aren't going anywhere. You just got a 5.5% raise. Your welcome! And for the record I voted against spouse removal. Check your facts.
ReplyDeleteAs a former union member, i would like to think that you could understand what the APFFA is trying to protect. Wages, benefits, healthcare, etc... it is apparent that nobody else is fighting for these employees. The APFFA does not represent other departments, so don't ensinuate that it is their fault for the spousal removal. You said they were greedy, what did you call it when you were involved in your union? As an elected official, i thought it was your duty to represent the citizens AND employees?
ReplyDelete"The APFFA does not represent other departments, so don't insinuate that it is their fault for the spousal removal." Excuse me! The staff was unrepresented and the police union was fine with a 3% raise. The only entity that was dissatisfied with 4% (not 3%) was the APFA. So you got your 5,5% and it was all you. Yes I was a union member and I even started my own union because their was no representation for the TWA pilots from the sole bargaining agent. What we wanted was fair representation that is all. What the APFA wants is the Fire Chief fired, plus whatever else they can grab from the table. I would say those goals are just a little different than fair representation. I voted against spousal removal because I thought their were other alternatives. The only alternative to greed is to simply say NO, that is enough.
ReplyDeleteMr.Parker , you sir are not a good man . You are an instigator and not at all truthful.
ReplyDeleteWhere is the lie? I have published everything but the firefighters name. I have provided you facts and figures and you have done nothing but call me names. Here is a few facts from the APFA book that apparently you didn’t read. This is a request for overtime:
ReplyDeleteFY 13 =2,341,779 FY14= 3,091,779 FY15=3,091,779 FY16=3,091,779 FY17=3,091,779 FY18=3,091,779 Total 5yr= 15,456,395
Do the math and divide that $15 mil by 300 badges and you get $51,562 per badge in overtime for the next 5 yrs. I’m sorry but the city doesn’t have $15 mil to supplement your base pay and special pay numbers. This is right out of the book provided to me by the APFA. The difference between you and me is I read the book
No I have not read the book, I am not a fireman , however I do live in Arlington and I do own a home here and I do have a voice. I did not ask for names I asked for rank. Firefighters do not make that in overtime . You are misleading the public , stop.
ReplyDeleteS.Smith.
Mr. Smith I posted that the individuals that got that amount of overtime were an F-2, F-4 and F-5 in those fiscal years.
ReplyDeleteWhat is F-5 , F-4 , F-2 ?
ReplyDeleteExplain it Mr.Councilman. I have no idea what that means. What area do these F's work in specifically. Are they in Prevention, Fire Battalion Chief, what?
S.Smith
Look it up, it's not my job to spoon feed you like a little bird.
ReplyDeleteThen how does a Tax paying home owner going to know ? You are speaking Greek to me, I'm a regular citizen that does not have the knowledge or information you do. Educate me and the rest of the public Mr. Parker. You clearly do not like firemen and that is what it looks like on this post for residents like me to see. Explain what this book is you mentioned, how do we, the public see it? I did look up on the city web site and I called Human Resources and talked at length today with them. They have never seen or heard of F-2 , F-4 or F-5. They did direct me to the area that posts pay scales and budgets and its very different from what you are writing on here. You are not being a good steward. I live in your district and regret voting for you .
ReplyDeleteS.Smith
An F1 is a firefighter out of high school that makes about $60,000 a year. An F2 is the next rank up and with his $50,700 a year base pay, special pay and over time that particular firefighter makes $83,00 a year. The F4 and F5 are hirer up the totem pole. I personally don't care if you vote for me or not. I'm simply trying to tell you the truth. I love our firefighters. They do a great job in keeping our citizens safe. My problem is with the Union Leadership that is trying to get our Fire Chief fired. I'm tired of it. Their job is to work for the Fire Chief and do their job. The entire Council is tire of this attitude, and it is embarrassing to have this fight each and every day. Go to work, do the job and get paid a good wage. This particular union leadership is toxic and greedy and I'm tired of it.
DeleteWow! Being a firefighter as a career is really undersold! I'm a registered architect and I still don't make what an F2 makes! Do you have to have a four year college degree, take 7 tests to be licensed, and work 15 years to become an F2?
DeleteLet me explain some more. We pulled up W-2s for the first full year for a firefighter and back then the base pay for an F1 was 48,700. With special pay and overtime the top W-2 of the 26 most junior firefighter was $62,442. The average W-2 for the group was $57,561. On average almost $9,000 in overtime. Now you have to realize that firefighters work 24 hr shifts. So 4 hrs of each shift is authorized overtime. But the take home pay is well over the base pay. Now the F2 that made the $32,386 in overtime had a higher base pay. At today's rates an F1 makes $50,700 base. So it is very conceivable that adding the overtime would bring an F2 above $83,000 for that year. No a four year degree is not required, however if you want to move up in the department it should be. Our police officers are required to have a four yr. degree. In order to be an assistant chief you must have a masters degree.
DeleteB.Perry are you a member of the Texas Society of Architects/AIA ?
DeleteI know most of the members in DFW and even the junior architects make more than Arlington FireFighters.
S.Smith
Mr. Parker, im sure if you take the average pay (include the benefits, retirement, healthcare, etc..) from firefighter through battalion chief and multiply that by 18, you will exceed the 2.3 in overtime a year. Is overtime a benefit? No, but it should be. Considering with the spousal removal and increased premiums and deductibles, i will be bringing home about $10,00 a year less. Thank you for supporting me.
ReplyDeleteMy neighbor is a 20 plus year firefighter and his W-2 from last year was $ 67,000.49.
ReplyDeleteThat is with his degree from UTA and a few other certs. No 83,000 like you are saying
S.Smith
Let me say it again slowly so you can understand. In FY12 the guy who got the most overtime received $32,386. The starting salary for an F1 that year was $48,700. If you add the starting salary and the overtime together you get $81,086. The firefighter that we are talking about was not an F1 he was an F2 so his base pay was higher. Today's F1's start at $50,700. That was a new pay scale that started on Jan 1 2015. I don't know what the top overtime number is for this year because it isn't over yet. I don't know about your neighbor. He might not want any overtime. The point I am trying to make is elementary. Arlington has the lowest number of firefighters in the metroplex per capita by far. Shifts are only manned at 84 firefighters 44% of the time requiring calling in firefighters that are off. Thus requiring overtime. The Arlington Fire Department is no.2 in the metroplex per badge in overtime. This is no way to run an efficient operation of any type. The department hired 18 new firefighters at my request. The union is against this because they want the overtime instead of being efficient. Have you ever heard of a union being against hiring people and creating new jobs? There is already overtime built into each firefighter schedule. That is ok, no problem. There is not and never will be $15 mil available to fund the requested overtime by the union. So I strongly suggest fixing the problem instead of continuing to milk the taxpayers.
ReplyDeleteThe overtime was not made by a firefighter. These are fire prevention/marshal overtime figures from what I have been told. I don't understand your desire to try and berate, belittle or destroy a group of people who are protecting our citizens. You are using numbers and facts from the city but putting your spin on it. I called the city and I have received a pay scale that new employees are given and it does not have F-1, F-2, etc....for firefighter. The police department has P-1, P-2, etc.... and it looks like the fire prevention employees are listed as F-1,F-2 , etc....,to be more aligned with pd. They are also peace officers and they receive the majority overtime in the fire department budget along with dispatch, so why are you saying otherwise. I have also looked at the last 30 years of benefits the city employees receive and it has been reduced considerably. When many of the employees were hired they were given a hand shake and a job with benefits. Those have been taken away. Regardless of industry standards, the employees who were told , this is your benefit package should be allowed to keep what they were given. It's similar to hiring a company to build you a house, you don't suddenly go , O' sorry , times have changed, I'm only giving you this now, thanks for the work, see you later. That is wrong and you wouldn't do that. I hope.
ReplyDeleteS.Smith
Well Mr. Smith hiring on in any job and expecting to maintain the same benefits package throughout a career simply doesn't happen in real life. My benefits package in the airline industry change terribly over time. Let's take my retirement at TWA or the retirement at American. Once Chapter 11 has been declared your retirement is now handled by the PBGC which is a government industry and hands you pennies on the dollar. I was very fortunate to walk away from American with my total retirement in tact. My TWA retirement was cut by 70%. Healthcare packages were also changed as time went on because healthcare changed. I was paying $250 a month when I left American.
ReplyDeleteThe APFA handed me their book and in that book (again) it shows that 84 fireman were only on shifts 44% of the time. Where do you think the other firemen to man the shifts came from? Fireman that were off duty. Again that is overtime. You think that fire prevention people can suck up $2.5 or $2.3 mil in overtime you are nuts. By the I voted to keep the spouses on the city plan. So get your facts straight. I'm closing this thread.