SALARY CONTRACT TABLE REMAINS STALLED AND BROKEN DOWN
The Salary Contract Table remains stalled and broken down between the County and the Union. The County continues to look for the money to finish our bargaining with a COLA that is fair and appropriate and in line with our work with Unions United. We have made significant gains and work on items affecting vacation accrual and comp time and other such important items at the table; the fact remains that the COLA is not where it needs to be to reflect a fair contract.
We are meeting with the County and the Fire Chief behind closed doors to try and get some paths of travel and some funding mechanisms to get through this bargaining and contract but we will not meet formally at the table until we have such a path. Impasse is a strong consideration, but we are giving Chief Marrone a chance with our help to see the money and the priority to get the COLA funded and get back to work to fix our department both short-term and long-term with funding mechanisms that will require both our support to accomplish. We have confidence in Fire Chief Marrone to guide the managers and the County in our work to find the funding.
We want to reiterate our call to action to all members who currently volunteer and serve in the following capacities should cease to serve in these capacities until we settle our contract:
1. All members are to immediately stop all online training this includes vector/target solutions, saba/learning net, or any additional training platforms. Only do online mandatory “Big County” training, or training that is required to keep your licenses current like EMT and Paramedic. Also, if you are a probationary employee, do all online training requirements to complete your probationary period. If you have questions regarding online training, contact Director Tony Carcioppolo.
2. All volunteer committee work, including:
- Explorer Program Committee
- Fitness For Life Committee
- Foam Committee
- Hazardous Materials Committee
- Health and Safety Committee
- Metro Committee
- Recruitment Committee
- Bids and Transfers Committee
- Equipment Development
- EMS QI Committee
- Volunteer CERT Training
- Memorial Committee
- Workers Comp Labor Management Committee
- Recruit training staff--Captains, FFS and FFs (forcible entry, ventilation, auto extrication, burn cadre, EMT, etc.)
3. Cease participating in all forms of recruitment from booths at schools and events from the Long Beach Grand Prix, to Women’s recruitment, including The Women’s Fire Prep Academy, Military, Veteran, and Minority recruitment efforts. STOP helping the Department with its goals. We need to show them the Department will not be able to fulfill its obligations to recruitment without you. Additionally, the County is asking for workers to run their County Employee Election Worker Program, which is outlined in EA-401. DO NOT SIGN UP.
Continue with all work to finish our Engineers Practical Exam. All prospective Fire Fighter Specialists that are planning on taking the upcoming exam should still be practicing, and we support activities to ensure they have the time to prepare and be successful. The upcoming exam is not canceled. The ball is in management's hands. It’s up to them what they do with it. We need a list and FFS to promote and fill vacancies so critical to reducing recalls in the ranks. Good luck to all.
Probationary employees are exempt from the work to the rule in completing assignments, follow-ups and Probationary Fitness Tests if scheduled. These things are part of your probationary training and are mandatory to complete. Probies, continue with your work and your obligations to complete probation and, more importantly, to keep on your training goals as new members of our profession.
If any superior officer leans on you or orders you to do something, do it. Work now and immediately call the Union or e-mail us so we can go to work on the issue. This is critical to keep our members safe and our Union safe as we bargain under the law.
We know this is hard on us all and strains the relationship between the workers and management, but until they value our work and work to finish the contract, they cannot come to rely on hard work if they do not value our effort. Stand United, Stay the Course! 1014 Strong!
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