Firefighters get raise

Shawnee City Commissioners avoided sending a firefighters union contract decision to a vote of the people by accepting the arbitration panel’s decision Monday night despite the terms not being what the city offered.
The local firefighters union and city officials couldn’t come to terms on the increase of wages in the collective bargaining agreement for fiscal year 2008-09, so the conflict was sent to an arbitration panel. When union and city officials are unable to reach an agreement, a panel hears both sides and renders a decision. The panel of three sided with the union.
In Monday’s meeting, city commissioners unanimously accepted the arbitration award to give firefighters the increase, resulting in the city having to pay about $77,000 more in wages than what was anticipated.
The conflict centered on whether firefighters would receive 4.9 percent increase,  $129,373.26, or the city’s proposal of 2 percent, $52,408.91. In the 2008-09 budget, the city gave employees across the board a 2 percent increase in wages.
In the arbitration’s findings, it was stated the average hourly rate of $17.36 is 40 percent below the average wage $24.34 for beginning journeymen, and firefighters earn 37 percent less per hour on average than local police officers.
City Labor Attorney Matt Love said in his documentation that evidence shows firefighters earn more than comparable professions on an annual basis. He said the average wage for a Shawnee firefighter is $50,684, and a journeyman earns $50,627.20 annually.
The arbitration award states the 4.9 percent increase, which is an additional $76,946 in firefighter wages for the city, is .02 percent of the city’s 2008-09 operating budget.
“We conclude there are revenues available, and the public interest is best served by supporting the firefighters’ request for a raise,” the documents states.
Love said the city relies on sales and use tax for about 71 percent of its revenue during a year. He said the city’s income from sales tax is not what was projected when the budget was adopted, resulting in less money available and the city relying on ending fund balances to make it through the budget year.
“The city cannot afford the added cost of the firefighter’s contract,” Love said in the documentation. “The firefighter’s contract, if accepted, will create a deficit.”
Love suggested the decision be put before the residents of Shawnee, but commissioners chose to accept the arbitration award. Commissioners decided to send a vote to the people in April for the police union bargaining agreement where Shawnee residents supported the city’s proposals.
In other business, commissioners opened three applications for the open seat for Ward 5 commissioner. The seat was declared vacant after Mayor Linda Peterson was elected. Applicants are Matthew LaHue, 31 Cherokee; Chris Silvia, 1908 Keller Place; and John Winterringer, 1514 Mesa Verde.
City commissioners will interview the applicants in the Dec. 15 meeting. Following the interviews, commissioners will appoint one to the Ward 5 seat. See Wednesday’s News-Star for more information on the applicants.
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Amanda Gire may be reached at 214-3934.