By Vesna Jaksic
Staff Writer
January 23, 2006
STAMFORD -- City officials will get another chance to reach a settlement with the firefighters' union, which a few months ago rejected a previous contract.
Mayor Dannel Malloy last week approved the more recent agreement, even though the Board of Finance recommended against it, saying it would be too costly. That leaves the Board of Representatives as the last hurdle.
In October, the union overwhelmingly rejected a settlement with the city, sending both sides back to the negotiating table.
Under the more recent agreement with the 235-member International Association Firefighters Local 786, firefighters would get 3 percent annual raises for four years and eventually pay 11 percent of the health care premiums, an increase from 7.5 percent.
To ensure that each of the three ladder trucks has four firefighters to meet national standards, the contract calls for hiring eight more firefighters.
Board of Finance members said their recommendation against the contract is the first negative opinion in months. The advisory was directed to the mayor. The board is scheduled to issue another advisory for the Board of Representatives during a special meeting Jan. 31.
Board of Finance Chairwoman Mary Lou Rinaldi said she does not know whether the opinion will change at next week's meeting, but members said the contract was too costly when they issued the advisory Jan. 10."The majority of the board members felt the contract would have a long-term financial impact on the city," Rinaldi said.
The contract is expected to cost nearly $10 million, ending in fiscal 2008-09, according to numbers provided by Dennis Murphy, director of human resources for the city. The contract calls for additional hires, but the wages and health premiums are comparable with those of other unions, he said.
Board of Finance member Joseph Tarzia criticized the mayor for not following the board's advice.
"The mayor seems to ignore the Board of Finance when they are rendering an advisory opinion," Tarzia said.
The opinion is only advisory, and the mayor and Board of Representatives are not required to follow it. Still, disagreements are not common, officials said.
"I understand it's wrong to disagree, but it's a labor agreement," Malloy said. "I think it's a good contract."
About 70 percent of the membership approved the contract, union President Brendan Keatley said. He understands the Board of Finance's concerns but is optimistic the Board of Representatives will approve the contract, Keatley said.
"I think when it's clearly explained to folks that it's about public safety and firefighter safety, that will probably weigh heavily on the decision," he said.
The Board of Representatives will vote on the contract next month, after taking into account an advisory opinion that the Board of Finance is expected to issue Jan. 31, said city Rep. Mary Fedeli, R-17, chairwoman of the board's Personnel Committee.
"It's an advisory opinion, but we're an independent board," Fedeli said. "We'll judge the contract on the merits of the contract and the presentation given to us at that meeting."
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