Firefighters’ Wage Dispute Is in the Hands of Arbitrator

In negotiating with the city over its contract during the past four years, the Anaheim Firefighters Assn. has maintained that it only wants what’s fair.

Thus, when the firefighters felt that negotiations weren’t going anywhere last March, they fought for the right to go through binding arbitration, a process whereby a neutral arbitrator would hear their case and that of the city.

During the past month, Michael Prihar, an arbitrator chosen by both sides, has listened to witnesses, combed through documents and tried to push the two sides closer together. By early next year, Prihar will have determined the definition of fair, settling the dispute that has left firefighters without a contract since 1996.

At the heart of the conflict are wages. The firefighters say they want compensation on par with that of other firefighters in Orange County. Mayor Tom Daly says that for workers who need only have a high school diploma, the firefighters are already justly compensated, with the city paying, per firefighter, an average of more than $89,000 in wages, overtime, benefits, holidays, sick leave and future pension. The city has thus proposed an increase of only 3.5%, an offer that will cost it $550,000 more per year.

“Eighty-nine thousand dollars is a healthy package. I think we should give a fair day’s pay for a fair day’s work and not focus on how Anaheim’s pay schedule compares to Mission Viejo or Dana Point,” said Daly.

But Scott Fox, a firefighter and secretary of the Firefighters Assn., disagrees. First, he said, firefighters perform a vital service for the city. The job is physically demanding, stressful and life-threatening. a

Fox also said the $89,000 figure is distorted. He pointed out that the average top base salary for a firefighter is $47,850. If the salary per number of hours worked is computed, Anaheim lags 10% behind other cities, he said.

Judy Silber can be reached at (714) 966-5988