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Politics & Government

Fairlawn Service, Fire Employees Negotiating Pay Rates

City Council approved two-year contract extensions with wage reopeners.

Employees in the Fairlawn service and fire departments will likely be getting raises in 2012 and 2013 after going without for the past year.

City officials are currently in wage negotiations with International Brotherhood of Teamsters Local Union 436, which represents 11 full-time service department workers, and Fairlawn Professional Firefighters IAFF Local 4164, which represents 12 full-time firefighter/medics.

On Nov. 7, City Council approved two-year contract extensions for both unions that included wage reopeners for 2012 and 2013. The contracts go into effect Jan. 1.

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Mayor William Roth said both unions agreed informally over the summer to extend the one-year contracts that were approved last year. Those measures froze everything from wages to cost-sharing contributions for healthcare coverage.

“Normally they’re three-year contracts. Last year, both service and fire agreed to one-year contacts due to economic uncertainty. By agreement, both (contracts) have been extended for two more years,” Roth said.

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Steve Brandt, president of the firefighters’ Local 4164, said union members respect the city’s financial situation.

“Last year, due to the economy, we took a wage freeze because it was the right thing to do for the city,” Brandt said.

Roth said the contracts weren’t fully reopened this year by mutual agreement.

“We have a good history of labor relations in the city,” Roth said. “Both parties are currently happy with the terms of the contracts. Why fix something if it’s not broken?”

Talks regarding wages started a couple weeks ago. “It’s being negotiated as we speak. By the end of the year we should have reached an agreement,” Roth said.

Jack Fortesque, the Cleveland-based business representative for Teamsters Local Union 436, said he couldn’t discuss the wage negotiations that are currently under way. But he did say the process is not contentious in Fairlawn.

“I agree 100 percent with (Roth’s) statement about good relations between the employer and the union over the years,” Fortesque said.

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