Countywide : Firefighters’ Labor Charges Withdrawn

Ventura County firefighters are withdrawing the two unfair labor practice charges they filed against the county last month, the president of the firefighters’ union said Friday.

The charges, which stemmed from unsuccessful contract negotiations between the Ventura County Professional Firefighters’ Assn. and county representatives, were scheduled for a public hearing by the county’s Civil Service Commission next week.

But the association decided to drop the charges when county negotiators reversed their positions that prompted the charges, said association President Ken Maffei.

“It seems that they’ve decided to negotiate rather than have a legal battle,” Maffei said. The county’s contract with the association expired last week.

The association contended that the county had refused to allow a tape recorder during contract negotiations in December, Maffei said. The association said county officials had no intention of negotiating in good faith because a decision made by the Board of Supervisor before the negotiations mandated that county employees would not receive salary increases before July 1, Maffei said.

“They decided to eliminate the ground rule prohibiting a tape recorder and they have allowed the possibility of talking about pay increases this fiscal year,” Maffei said.

County lawyer Leroy Smith said the county is no longer requiring that the association agree to the ground rule prohibiting a tape recorder and that there was “a misunderstanding” about the negotiation of salary increases.

Negotiations will start again Wednesday, Smith said.