09-22-08 Common Council Minutes - Laserfiche WebLink

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REGULAR MEETING SEPTEMBER 22, 2008 th Mr. Charles Leone, City Attorney, 14 Floor County-City Building, South Bend, Indiana, stated that he represented the Board of Safety on the joint City Bargaining Team. He stated that he would like to say that he is not willing to get into a pit with Kenny Marks to work things out. Kenny is correct in stating that it was a difficult process. He thinks that everybody had the same goals in mind and that is the safety for the citizens of the City of South Bend, safety for the firefighters, but at the same time understanding that they were under difficult circumstances that were not of their choosing. He stated that they did have to work through a number of issues. On the Board of Safety side with the working agreement they did not reach an agreement on a new agreement going forward, but they agreed to disagree and will have a letter of understanding that will be in effect for 2009 that they have come to terms on. Mr. Leone stated that what he thinks that will do is allow the City to get through 2009 under terms that both sides were okay with and allow the City to make some decisions next year for 2010. He stated that all in all it was a positive result and looks forward to working things together going forward. He urged the Council’s support of this ordinance. Councilmember Kirsits stated that in the Police contract they actually have a signed contract besides the monetary component. Kathleen Cekanski-Farrand stated that they have an agreement with regard to a working agreement which will go before the Board of Public Safety separately and then will come to the Council. Councilmember Kirsits advised that with the Firefighters Union there is only a monetary agreement and that there is no agreement with the contract as he understands. Will that contract continue to go on even without ratification? Kathleen Cekanski-Farrand stated yes that is correct and the current contract will roll for one year, pursuant to what Mr. Leone mentioned, there is a letter of understanding which the Board will act upon. Councilmember Kirsits asked that after that one year will they be working without a contract. Kathleen Cekanski-Farrand stated that they will be going back to the bargaining table again next year with both Fire and Police, so it’s just a one year. Councilmember Kirsits asked if that is kind of a scary area, going into not having a contract. Kathleen Cekanski-Farrand stated that the commitments made again as the Councilmember’s and the Administrators have mentioned, she thinks that there is a real commitment. The issues are real, the problems are real, as are the fiscal challenges that are not only facing the City, but every City in the State of Indiana is real. The Unions have a real understanding of that also. She stated that she is confident that again, whether in the pit with Kenny or not, they will work it out. Councilmember Kirsits commended President Marks, and Vice-President Skwarcan, who both actually live in the City of South Bend and are employed by them. He stated that he knows one thing that is real close to President Marks heart and he worries that he too is close to the situation, is the paramedic incentive pay. He stated that one of the toughest jobs in this City is being a paramedic on the South Bend Fire Department. He noted that the burn out factor is tremendous, the amount of training and they haven’t done anything to increase that. He stated that it is getting thin in the paramedic ranks, very thin. They may come a day very soon that they don’t meet the requirements of the ALS committee set down by St. Joseph County and that would be rather difficult to deal with. Kathleen Cekanski-Farrand advised that issue was an item that again, President Marks will address but, that was an issue that they spent a lot of time on, because if you recall several years ago, South Bend became a training service basically, once the paramedics made it through all the credentials here they would go to Elkhart where they could make five, six, seven thousand dollars more than the City of South Bend. That is why they 13