Negotiations stalled on issues of pay, promotional process
Negotiations between the City of Bartlesville and the International Association of Fire Fighters Local 200 have all but stalled again, but talks are set to resume later this month, City Attorney Jess Kane told the City Council on Tuesday.
Negotiators for each side met several times in August but appear to have reached an impasse on issues of pay and the department’s promotional practices.
“Since the last council meeting on Aug. 2 we’ve had a number of sessions, with the first on Aug. 5,” Kane said. “Pursuant to the discussions on Aug. 5, the City again updated its written offer to the IAFF, and that was presented to them in a negotiation on Aug. 16. That included some additional concessions to the IAFF. We had another session on Aug. 24. It would be difficult to describe that session as productive.
“The IAFF rejected substantially every single proposal that the City of Bartlesville has made this year, including $527,000 in raises for the department, which includes an 11.5 percent pay increase for more than 50 percent of the department.”
Kane said “all hope is not lost,” however, as the IAFF has requested a meeting later this month to review a revised offer.
“The IAFF emailed me today, and we’re going to try to have another negotiations session at the end of the month,” he said.
The contract dispute is set for arbitration on Oct. 25-26. Arbitration is an adversarial procedure resembling a legal hearing in which both sides present their case to an arbitrator appointed by both sides. If an agreement isn’t reached before arbitration, the arbitrator will render a finding in favor of either the City’s or the union’s “last, best offer.” If the ruling is in favor of the union, the City has the option of asking Bartlesville voters to decide the final outcome.
The City’s most recent offer to the IAFF includes pay increases totaling $527,534. The offer includes salary adjustment increases ranging from 6.5 to 11.5 percent and longevity pay increases ranging from 79 to 367 percent. The highest increase percentage would go to the rank of firefighter, which makes up more than half the department.
In exchange, the City is requesting a change in the department’s promotional procedures that will permit the fire chief and city manager more options when looking at management-level promotional options.
“The City has requested that restrictions be lifted on hiring the deputy chief, which was vacated recently with the promotion of Fire Chief David Topping. This is an entirely administrative position and not even part of the bargaining unit,” Kane said during a previous meeting. “We’ve asked that it be removed from the promotional process, which would enable the fire chief and city manager to be able to pick from a wider pool of applicants.”
Currently, only the five most senior applicants can be considered for a promotional position.
Kane also updated the council Tuesday on an arbitration decision issued recently in response to grievances filed by the IAFF against the City. Kane said arbitrators in that case found in favor of the City. He said the decision noted efforts by Human Resources Director Laura Sanders and Police Chief Tracy Roles to educate IAFF members on the effect of the State’s then-recent marijuana laws on City policy.
“That’s a big deal,” he said.
The council opted to discuss the arbitrators findings in an executive session, which, in accordance with Oklahoma law, are not open to the public. Executive sessions are permitted under the law for discussion regarding certain matters, including personnel issues. The council later returned to open session but took no action on the issue.
The IAFF has filed nine grievances against the City since January. The Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 117, which represents Bartlesville police officers, has filed two. The City and the FOP reached an agreement for a two-year contract earlier this year.