HUNTINGTON BEACH : Firefighters, City Seek Arbitration

Negotiations between the city and its firefighters’ union have broken down for the second time in 19 months, leading both sides to request a state-appointed arbitrator to resolve the dispute.

Negotiations have been stalled over the future of paramedic vans and staffing levels on fire engines. Union leaders fear that the city will try to cut costs by eliminating the vans and reducing staffing levels on fire engines from three-member firefighter companies to two.

But Deputy City Administrator Robert Franz asserted that the city is planning to add three paramedics, to bring their number to 36, in the coming year’s budget and has no plans to reduce staffing for fire engine companies.

City negotiators, though, have balked at putting staffing guarantees in the contract, because they don’t want to give up management rights should depressed economic times dictate cutbacks in the future, Franz said.

Capt. Guy Burnell, a member of the negotiating team, said he believes that the city has “a hidden agenda” to eliminate up to 12 positions through doing away with paramedic vans and assigning the paramedics to fire engine companies.

An issue over pay was settled after going to arbitration.

Firefighters settled on a 9.5% pay increase retroactive to Oct. 1, 1990, a 5% pay hike retroactive to last Oct. 1 and a 7% boost this coming Oct. 1.

The annual pay for firefighters will go from $36,480 to $45,132, Franz said. Because the dispute has lingered so long, Fire Department personnel will receive about $1.5 million in retroactive pay once the contract is finally settled.

Firefighters will get retroactive paychecks of $8,700 apiece. Engineers will get $10,400 in back pay, paramedics will get $11,300 and captains will receive $12,300, Franz said.

Firefighters handed out leaflets Monday outside City Council chambers for the second time in recent weeks, urging residents to help fight the feared reductions.

City officials declared their intentions to call an impasse more than a week ago. It became official Thursday when a last-ditch meeting failed to settle differences.