April 2000

County skeptical of fire consolidation contract By Susan Voyles RENO GAZETTE-JOURNAL April 12th, 2000 Washoe County Commissioners took their first look Tuesday at a proposed labor contract they must accept if their firefighters are merged with the Reno Fire Department. And they didn't like it. "It looks like we've got problems," said Ted Short, commission chairman, who's concerned about giving Reno Local Fire Fighters Local 731 the right to veto any future moves to regionalize fire service in the valley. "I don't want us to jump to conclusions yet," said Commissioner Joanne Bond. "But this does fill me with great concerns." County commissioners asked that their concerns be conveyed immediately to Reno officials. And they will get a full analysis of the 48-page contract and eight side agreements on April 25. Reno assistant city manager Ralph Jaeck said he believes the problems are mere misunderstandings. "I think they are solvable. People need to sit down and communicate and understand." The five-year contract between Reno and Reno Firefighters 731 was turned over to the county commission to prepare for the consolidation of operations of the Truckee Meadows Fire Protection District and the Reno Fire Department. Local 731 members will vote on the labor contract later this month. The contract was given to the county so that it could consider giving it to Truckee Meadows Firefighters Local 2487 to ratify. If approved all around, Truckee Meadows would contract with Reno Fire Department for fire service in the unincorporated, suburban areas surrounding the city. Both the city council and the county commission approved that contract in January but it has yet to be signed. Assistant county manager Howard Reynolds said the contract would allow the union to "hold hostage" any further attempts to regionalize fire operations through 2005 over the next four years by requiring any new employer to assume terms of the contract. Jaeck said the language comes from the county's own contract with its Truckee Meadows firefighters. "If you are going to do consolidation, you have to deal with the unions. There's no way around that." County labor manager Steve Watson questions the unusually high pay being offered in the contract. Wages would increase 2.1 percent every six months under the five-year contract, raising wages by 18.1 percent. Watson questions whether other city or county employee groups will be clamoring for the same pay raises. But for fire safety, Jaeck said the pay hikes are reasonable. Looked at in another way, they average 3.17 percent a year. The city of Henderson is giving its firefighters a 4 percent boost a year after bumping salaries 5 percent. Las Vegas and North Las Vegas are boosting pay 3.5 percent to 4 percent a year. "In the end, we come out a little higher. But we go into the next contract in a stronger position," Jaeck said. He said the raises are in line with the 4 percent a year allowed each year under the contract for Reno to take over Truckee Meadows operations. The new contract also "cherry picks" benefits that the Truckee Meadows firefighters have, said Commissioner Jim Galloway said. That means the best benefits of the Truckee Meadows contract are picked out for the new contract. The Reno contract allows firefighters to receive a $20 bonus every two weeks if they don't take any sick time. And the Truckee Meadows contract gives firefighters a lump sum payment at the end of their career for up to 2,100 hours of sick time. Under the proposed contract, firefighters would get both. Reno pays 60 percent of health and accident insurance for retired firefighters until they reach age 65. Truckee Meadows pay 50 percent of health insurance for life after their firefighters retire. Under the proposed contract, they'd get both. But Jaeck said the added benefit represents only one-tenth of 1 percent of base salary. Finally, county commissioners are still upset with side letters that appear to say the county will have to hire nine extra firefighters to drive water trucks to fires. And county officials say that side agreement, signed the day before the city and county signed the joint agreement in January, restricts the use of volunteers in the unincorporated county for fill-in duty. Jaeck stressed the city reads those letters differently and the intent is not to change any current practices. But if there is any extra cost involved, "it's on Reno's ticket," Jaeck said. He said the county will have "a guaranteed price for service." But if that's not the case, Reynolds said the nine extra firefighters and Reno's hiring of 15 additional firefighters earlier than planned to open a new station at the Double Diamond Ranch will more than offset a $1.6 million expected savings in consolidating the two departments. Email this article to a friend: Your friend's email address: Your email address: Back to Local News Index |