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Firefighters asked to give up raises in 'ultimatum' proposal

Dayton also asks union to forgo holiday pay on four days next year.

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By Lucas Sullivan, Staff Writer 11:12 PM Friday, July 17, 2009

City firefighters will vote next week on a contract proposal being characterized by a union official as an “ultimatum” issued by city officials trying to fill a $6 million deficit.

A copy of the memorandum of understanding posted in fire stations and obtained late Thursday, July 16, by the Dayton Daily News asks firefighters to forgo raises next year and give up holiday pay on Labor Day and Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Good Friday and Memorial Day in 2010.

Qualified firefighters will also be asked to work up in rank with no additional pay.

In return, the city will take the demotion of nine district chiefs off the table and not lay off any firefighters through the end of May.

Mike Fasnacht, International Association of Firefighters Local 136 president, said the MOU is not a compromise, but an “ultimatum” from City Manager Rashad Young.

“(The city) might call this a mutual agreement, but we were (told) that if we don’t pass this the city would lay off firefighters, demote the district chiefs and take (fire vehicles) out of service,” Fasnacht said Friday, July 17.

Young said he has not issued any ultimatums and said Fasnacht is being “disingenuous.”

“This is not about retribution,” Young said. “All you have to do is look at the math when it comes to the budget deficit. I did say we would have to take equipment out of service if we got to that point, but there was never a threat made.”

The roughly 330 firefighters will vote on the MOU Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. If passed, the MOU would be in effect until October 2010.

Fasnacht said he has approached Young about other areas of the IAFF contract that could be cut in order to save the city about $600,000. He would not elaborate.

Young said Fasnacht’s ideas didn’t add up to enough savings and the fire department must make similar concessions as did the Dayton Public Service Union, which has already agreed to a wage freeze next year.

“I am not going to create a situation where we have employees that look at other employees as being better than they are,” Young said. “As I am doing this I have to be concerned about the morale of our organization.”

Contact this reporter at  (937) 225-2494 or  lsullivan@DaytonDailyNews.com.

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Actually Ret Sgt your response is the typical one. No actual facts just lip service.
Compare calls per capita, types of calls and # of responders. dbob posted facts. Where are yours? I have lived in Dayton and I have lived in many of the surrounding communities that are able to provide service with out 8 FF/drivers sitting in their rigs in the street while two FF or paramedics actually respond. What a waste of tax payer money! I am for full time FF and PD.

Find the Facts
3:34 PM, 7/24/2009

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Boomer, you said, "...then get all manly for an hour or so when the alarm rings. Forego a raise? Dang, they should be taking CUTS in pay. Big babies. Life on the line...pfft! Save this!" If the time comes that your house or your sorry, pathetic self needs to be saved by firefighters, you'll be glad that they got "all manly". You, of course, will probably show your thanks by spitting in their faces.

Lynn
7:58 PM, 7/21/2009

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Ret sgt has nothing better to do than post all day long singing the union song. dbob, you make an excellent point, one ret sgt and his cohorts will never admit. Dayton is a shell of its former self. The end result is less revenues means less for expenditures including pd and fd. The union hacks haven't got that through their heads yet.

Get Real
2:04 PM, 7/20/2009

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Common, everytime you respond it shows how little you know about FF's. It appears no facts wil trump your opinions. Just another wannabee. Part timers will not work in major cities. Do us all a favor and show the studies/cities that rely on part timers for their coverage? Then show us your creds where your way works for major cities. Just another fly by nighter, arm chair quarterback that has no clue how things operate. Put your crayons down. You NEVER will have what it takes to be a FF.

codyusa
8:04 AM, 7/20/2009

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The Firefighers are not immune. They will have to buckle down just like the rest of us if they want to survive this economic crisis.

A freeze in pay and no holiday pay is not as major as loosing a job.

sassy
7:00 AM, 7/20/2009

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