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Unpaid shifts will draw down shortfall by $285,000

July 21, 2009
By DAN MORAN

WAUKEGAN — Firefighters will close their end of the city’s budget shortfall under a plan announced Monday that will see them working unpaid shifts, saving some $285,000 over the next fiscal year.

Details of the plan emerged as the city considers a special meeting on July 27 to air final proposals for a budget that would be due on July 31. Concessions from remaining employee groups, including police officers, have yet to be agreed upon.

Director of Governmental Services Ray Vukovich said late Monday that meetings would be held today with the Policemen’s Benevolent Labor Committee (PBLC), which represents 118 Waukegan officers.

Vukovich added that the volunteer furlough agreement with International Association of Firefighters Local 473 was reached following marathon negotiations last week.

“(They) stepped up,” Vukovich said. “We sat down with them for six hours last week and hammered it out.”

Local 473 president Brad Buntrock told the City Council Monday that the deal was struck after his membership saw documentation that “confirms the fiscal challenges” made public by city officials, who have estimated a budget shortfall of between $6 million and $3 million.

Buntrock added that the agreement to work volunteer shifts during what would normally be unpaid leave was made “to keep our firehouses fully staffed (and) reduce salaries without affecting our wage scale.”

“First, last and always, our commitment is to the citizens of our community,” Buntrock said. “Nothing is more important to a Waukegan firefighter than the safety of the people who pay our salaries. Each of us swore an oath to protect lives and property and money should never stand in the way of that oath.”

But Buntrock added that the deal “has a catch,” calling on the City Council “to commit to bringing this city back to fiscal health, not on the backs of employees of the city, but rather through conservative management of your financial resources.”

The effort to strengthen the city’s financial picture was reflected in a measure that would increase ambulance fees to generate up to $250,000 more than the $2.1 million taken in during 2008.

Under a proposal likely to be voted on next month, rates would increase across the board on a tiered scale based on severity of injury, with differing rates for residents and non-residents.

For example, transport for a minor injury such as a broken arm would rise from $340 to $550 for a resident, and from $710 to $750 for non-residents. A critical-care transport, meanwhile, would rise from $675 to $850 for residents, and from $785 to $1,100 for non-residents.

Eighth Ward Ald. Rick Larsen, chairman of the Public Safety Committee, said the proposed new rates are based on a survey of more than 100 surrounding fire departments and are “competitive with what the going rate is for other communities.”

Fire Chief Dan Young said that Waukegan will also implement documentation changes in an effort to recoup more money from both insurance companies, which represent some 17 percent of Waukegan transports, and Medicaid/Medicare, which cover 45 percent.

The city council of Waukegan unanimously ratified the wage concession package that was offered knowing full well that the numbers agreed to took more than the money they were asking for. They agreed that 4 hours out of every paycheck would be taken out and given back to the city coffers. They also knew that the real number to match the amount they were asking for was only 3 hours. They took another $70,000 of firefighter’s wages for the city coffers just to seal the deal. We’re working for free for 8 hours every month and it’s called a furlough, except we will still be working at the fire station and running calls to protect the city. It that’s not sacrifice, I don’t know what is. I know it may sound like wining but to me, a contract is a contract. You don’t see any of those big business CEO’s retiring and not getting their contract seven figure “bonuses”, because they have a CONTRACT. Granted, four firefighter’s families have been spared the axe for now but the city passed another $3 million in expenditures for next fiscal year on the same night. I don’t see a raise in the future, even though the city agreed to pay us our raises two months late next year. I see the city coming to the table again and asking for more, more , more.

We bargained in good faith and it’s the city’s turn to show good faith and stop the hemorrhage and keep to their promise.

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Republicans didn’t waste a moment today trying to focus on Sonia Sotomayor’s views on affirmative action — and her habit of dodging questions.
It’s Day 4 of her confirmation hearing, a day likely to be remembered for the upcoming testimony of New Haven firefighter Frank Ricci. He was on the winning side of a Supreme Court race-discrimination ruling that overturned an appellate court decision in which Sotomayor participated.

Sen. Jon Kyl, R-Ariz., opened the questioning today by pressing Sotomayor on her claim that she was bound by precedent in ruling against the white firefighters. Sotomayor, who has danced around the question all week, started to review the facts of the case when Kyl interjected. “The question I asked was very simple,” he said, apologizing for the interruption and reminding her of the question: What was the precedent by which she was bound?”

A few minutes later, he stopped her again: “Let me interrupt again, because you’re not getting to the point of my question,” Kyl said, adding that Sotomayor would never let a lawyer get away with indirect answers in her courtroom. He said Sotomayor would admonish an elusive lawyer by saying, “That’s all fine and dandy, counsel, but you’re not answering my question.”

And on it went.

-Ron Fournier, AP Washington bureau chief

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Lake County Sheriff Mark Curran denounced and condemned Waukegan Mayor Robert Sabonjian’s proposed layoffs of the city’s police, fire and service personnel Monday evening. The city has a soaring budget deficit, which officials have placed as high as $6 million.

“Gangs already greatly outnumber police in this community and these personnel cuts will make a bad problem worse,” said Curran. “Before Mayor Sabonjian does something rash he should know that the blood of Waukegan’s citizens could potentially be on his hands.”

Under the proposed cuts, 19 police officers would lose their jobs, a sizable portion considering that 15 vacancies already exist on a total force of 120 officers, Curran said. He stressed that cuts would have negative “spillover effects” on neighboring communities like Zion and North Chicago.

“Just as no man is an island, no police department is an island,” he said. “We urge the mayor and city council to look at all possible areas before cutting police and fire jobs.”

Waukegan firefighters union President Brad Buntrock said the department was already struggling to meet demands and that laying off 16 firefighters could be disastrous.

“We know that it is possible to improve the budget without these personnel cuts,” he said. “Every resident needs to feel that they can call 911 and have somebody respond in a reasonable period of time. We are talking about people’s lives here.”

A separate of crowd of nearly 100 union laborers, firefighters, police personnel and concerned residents gathered on the steps of the Waukegan municipal complex to rally against the proposed layoffs before Monday’s council meeting. Signs carried messages including “Protect those who protect you” and “Raise revenue, don’t raze services.”

Representatives of Waukegan’s service employees also expressed outrage at the cuts, saying that there was plenty of bureaucratic fat to be cut at the top before city workers should be laid off.

Wayne Lindwall, director of services employees international Union Local 73, called the proposed cuts a “sham.”

“We need city hall to lead by example and to take a look in their backyards before cutting into ours,” he said. “Nobody is trying to gouge the city of Waukegan – these employees already are underpaid.” “They need to go through their budget with a fine-toothed comb before they deprive their residents of vital services,” echoed Matthew LaPierre, a representative of the American Federation of State County and Municipal Employees. “This government needs to find another way.”

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Waukegan Mayor Bob Sabonjian rebuked Lake County Sheriff Mark Curran for a media briefing earlier this week in which Curran decried the proposed layoffs of Waukegan police, firefighters and service employees.

The city has a soaring budget deficit, which officials have estimated at $3.5 million. Under the proposed cuts, 19 police officers would lose their jobs, in addition to the 15 vacancies that already exist on the 120-person force. The fire department would lose 16 firefighters.

Curran stated on Monday that “the blood of Waukegan’s citizens could potentially be on (Sabonjian’s) hands” if police and fire personnel were reduced.

Sabonjian responded by citing Curran’s “flair for the dramatic” and calling his words “premature” and “inflammatory.”

“My goal has always been to keep people working and with that in mind we are going through our budget to look at every possible solution,” Sabonjian said. “That includes nonunion management salary cuts, making sure management pays for health insurance and deferring vehicles and capital improvements. There are no sacred cows here and there is no secret ‘rainy-day fund’ that the public doesn’t know about – everything is on the table.”

But even with substantial expense reductions, a deficit exceeding $1 million is still likely, Sabonjian said. He stated that the ball is in the court of union employees, who either must take a 4 percent to 7 percent pay cut or accept layoffs.

“At that point it becomes more of a moral question of loyalty than a fiscal one,” Sabonjian said. “Will they be willing to take a slight pay cut to keep everybody on the job?”

Waukegan’s revenues have plummeted in recent months, with virtually no recent activity on the residential and commercial markets and no projected growth on the immediate horizon. Sabonjian called the city’s financial wounds “wide and deep.”

Curran defended his statements and pointed out that the Chicago area was recently named the nation’s top region for gang activity and membership by the U.S. Department of Justice. He also said that the 40 percent reduction in Waukegan’s crime rate since 1996 can be attributed to the hiring of more police officers.

Sabonjian said that Curran’s comments were “inappropriate” since he is not a Waukegan police officer but instead an elected countywide official.

Curran defended his comments.

“I feel that it is imperative that the Sheriff weighs in; especially when he has opinions based on fact that are well-reasoned in terms of the potential impact dramatic cuts will have on the public safety on Waukegan and Lake County as a whole,” Curran responded.

Angry residents did not mince words when asked about the potential layoffs on Monday.

“I have never seen as many burglaries as I have in the past three months,” said Bany Marlowe of Waukegan’s Crescent Hill subdivision. “The police already are saying they don’t have enough officers and the mayor wants to get rid of more?”

“If they go through with this, may God help us all,” said Wally Sczygielski, a Waukegan resident for the past 68 years. “I have always felt safe and secure, but crime is contagious… ”

Sabonjian made it clear that the resolution to this problem will require concessions from both sides.

“We hope that Waukegan residents will keep watching the situation in a rational fashion and understand that it’s a give and take on both sides,” he said. “This is not a management lockout by any means. Hopefully everybody gives a little bit to keep working and after 18 to 24 months we’ll see where we are at.”

Sacramento California, Layoffs of 41 to over 60 firefighters.

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Judge Sotomoyor ruled against white firefighters who accused New Haven, Conn of racial bias. She is being considered for appointment to the Supreme Court bench. Many of her rulings in her own court have been overturned in the Supreme Court.

“>Here is the original article from Yahoo News

Firehouses give chilly reaction to Sotomayor hearing

Firefighters around the country weren’t paying much attention to the Sotomayor hearing, but almost all of them had strong feelings about the lawsuit that senators are asking her about.
Rene Archambault, a firefighter for 27 years in Lawrence, Mass., said he hopes Sotomayor’s confirmation is derailed because she ruled against white firefighters who had accused New Haven, Conn., of racial bias.
That ruling was overturned by the Supreme Court.

“I hope she doesn’t get confirmed, rendering those types of decisions,”said Archambault, a white firefighter in a heavily Hispanic city. “If you were an astronaut, would you want to fly on the shuttle built by the lower bidder? … I think you would want the best candidate.”

Patrick Driscoll, president of the Lawrence Firefighters Union, Local 146, said he disagreed with her decision but doesn’t think it will affect her confirmation.

“Everybody should be held to the same standard and accountability,” he said. “If she’s trying to turn things around because of race or origin, I don’t know if that kind of person being appointed is the right way to go.”

The white firefighters challenged New Haven’s decision to scrap the results of a promotion test because too few minorities scored high enough to qualify.

“I couldn’t say it was fair or not,” said Malik Mtima, a black firefighter in Atlanta. “It’s not likely that black firefighters just weren’t smart enough.”

Chief Franklin Lockwood leads a department of 12 white firefighters in St. Francis, Wis. He read the headlines, but didn’t think much about the case.

“Those guys are from New Haven. It’s not a problem in my back yard.”

-Errin Haines in Atlanta, Denise Lavoie in Boston, Dinesh Ramde in St.Francis, Wis.

House Approves Doubling SAFER Funding
July 1, 2009 – The U.S. House of Representatives has approved a Homeland Security Appropriation bill that doubles funding for the Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) grant program. The bill calls for spending $420 million on the program, which provides grants to help communities hire fire fighters. The bill also provides funding for a variety of other fire service programs, including $390 million for the Assistance Firefighters Grant (AFG) program, commonly known as FIRE Act grants.

“As municipalities continue to struggle to fund fire department budgets, it is more important than ever that the federal government shoulder its share of the public safety burden,” says IAFF General President Harold Schaitberger. “I applaud the House for recognizing the importance of the SAFER program, and for providing the resources we need to protect our members.”

The SAFER appropriation is especially significant in light of a new law that expands the use of SAFER grants. Language contained in a supplemental appropriation bill, which has been signed into law by President Obama, will allow fire departments to use SAFER funds to rehire fire fighters who were laid off and restore cuts made to staffing as a result of the financial crisis, in addition to providing grants to grow fire departments.

Before giving final approval to the legislation, the House overwhelmingly rejected an amendment that would have cut funding for the SAFER and FIRE Act grant programs by a vote of 113-318. The amendment, offered by Representative Randy Neugebauer (R-TX), would have reduced funding for the FIRE Act and SAFER program by $210 million.

The legislation now moves to the Senate, where a similar funding bill has already won approval in the Appropriations Committee. The full Senate is likely to act on the spending bill within the next few weeks. Both the House and Senate have made it a priority to fund President Obama’s request for doubling the SAFER budget.

Click here to see the article run by the IAFF

Informational Picket for the City of Waukegan

The city of Waukegan, IL had a city budget meeting where the public got to air their concerns at the looming budget cuts for the city that includes laying off 16 firefighters and over 20 police officers. Close to 200 union city workers came out to picket city hall. CLTV was there to interview the union presidents and also interviewed Mayor Sabonjian. The real show started after the city council meeting started when the aldermen and mayor fought for over 20 minutes on accepting the minutes from their last meeting.