OXNARD : Firefighters Picket Outside City Hall

Frustrated over 14 months of unsuccessful contract negotiations with the city, Oxnard firefighters began picketing in front of City Hall on Monday.

Bill Gallaher, president of the firefighters union, said that, while the picketing will continue at least through today, he was not sure how long the demonstration will go on after that.

Contract negotiations broke off two weeks ago and have not resumed. Both sides said no further negotiations are scheduled. While the City Council met inside City Hall on Monday to consider a new general plan, four firefighters wearing street clothes and carrying picket signs paced up and down outside.

Negotiations broke off when the council rejected a contract proposal Aug. 14.

According to Gallaher, both sides have agreed on a salary package similar to a two-year contract approved in July by another city employees union. That contract called for a 9.3% salary increase over two years, city officials said.

However, Gallaher said, negotiations deadlocked because firefighters want the city to increase their pay when they temporarily fill in for an ill or vacationing fire engineer or captain.

The city has offered to include such a clause but only if firefighters eliminate a clause that allows firefighters with the most seniority to bid for vacant slots within the department, an exchange firefighters say is unacceptable.