Firefighters’ union, city of Lewiston at odds

The union representing Lewiston firefighters is pushing the city to accept a proposal from a third party to resolve a dispute about compensation.

The proposal would give firefighters a 4% increase in base wages along with an increase for cost of living in the first year of the contract that would be retroactive to Oct. 1, according to a letter the city of Lewiston provided to the Tribune.

It would provide cost of living increases in the second and third years, but no additional base wage increases in the second and third years of the contract.

At the same time, under the proposal, firefighters would continue to receive $75 per month from the city to put into a fund they can use for certain medical expenses in retirement that accumulates over their careers.

The city’s contributions to the fund cost $45,000 per year for all firefighters, said Colton Doramus, communications director for Lewiston Firefighters Local 1773, in an email.

The money can go to costs such as insurance premiums, co-pays and prescriptions, Doramus said.

“Because firefighters typically retire earlier than the general workforce, many firefighters face a gap in health care coverage between retirement and Medicare eligibility,” Doramus said. “This makes access to retiree health benefits … critically important to cover that gap.”

The contract covers 48 firefighters and two fire inspectors as well as certain benefits for reserve firefighters, Doramus said.

Reserve firefighters are entitled to the medical benefits of full-time firefighters for a year if they work 1,560 hours in the previous consecutive 12 months, Doramus said.

The city has offered a 2.5% base wage increase and a cost of living increase in the first year of the contract, along with a 1.5% base wage increase in the second year of the contract, according to a Nov. 6 letter from city officials to the firefighters union.

The city would also provide cost of living increases in the second and third years of the contract.

The letter was signed by Dan Johnson, Lewiston’s mayor; Nikki Province, human resources director; and Aimee Gordon, finance director and city treasurer.

While the city would no longer contribute to the medical expenses fund for firefighters under its offer, firefighters could maintain the funds with their own money, Johnson said.

The city’s goal in negotiations is to arrive at a solution that is equitable to all city employees and sustainable for the city, Johnson said.

In addition to differing views about what the terms of the contract should be, the two sides have disagreements about the process.

The firefighters’ union described the process that resulted in the proposal from the third party as a “binding outcome” from an “arbitration panel,” in a news release issued Thursday.

The city’s letter described it as a “fact finding commission” that produced “recommendations.”

The issues between the two sides have been developing over more than a decade.

“Lewiston’s Fire Department is already grappling with a staffing crisis, increased call volumes and starting wages for entry-level reserve firefighters that are less than those offered by many local fast-food chains,” according to the news release from the firefighters union.

Generally, Lewiston starting firefighters earn $20.35 per hour and $25.55 per hour after 10 years of service, Doramus said.

The number of firefighters the city has is a “bare minimum needed to keep operations running smoothly” as they responded to 8,479 calls last year, Doramus said.

“While the city continues to allocate millions toward discretionary projects, it is overlooking its duty to support the firefighters who put their lives on the line for this community,” according to the firefighters’ union news release.

Examples of discretionary projects are “park developments, airport issues and rebuilding of public pools,” Doramus said.

The city has analyzed the compensation of all of its employees during its talks with the firefighters union, Johnson said.

The city’s contribution to the medical expenses fund for the firefighters originated in fiscal years 2011 and 2012, according to the city’s letter.

The city didn’t provide cost of living increases to balance the budget while maintaining staffing and programs and minimizing the impact on residents and businesses that fund the government, according to the letter.

Instead, the city found different types of compensation for those in its unions. In the case of the firefighters, it was the contributions to the medical expenses fund.

But unlike the city’s other two unions, the contributions to the medical expense funds continued for firefighters after fiscal year 2012, according to the letter.

“Today the city recommends discontinuation of monthly payments to (the medical expense fund) to keep all employee groups equitable,” according to the letter.

The city also has concerns that the fact-finding process “took so long to complete its business,” according to the letter.

The city was prepared to go before the commission for a hearing in early April, according to the letter.

But for reasons that were not caused by any action of the city, the commission didn’t meet with the city and the union until July 1, according to the letter.

The fact-finding report of the commission wasn’t issued until Aug. 20, six days before the final reading and adoption of the city’s budget for the fiscal year that starts Oct. 1.

“The timing of the commission’s recommendations on a wage increase and a (cost of living increase) precluded us from considering them both in one fiscal year,” according to the letter.

Williams may be contacted at ewilliam@lmtribune.com or (208) 848-2261.