March 01--Maplewood's attempt to replace its 25 part-time firefighters with full-time firefighters has turned into a legal battle against the Maplewood Fire Relief Association.
On Monday, the city sued the association, alleging it engaged in "highly unprecedented -- and perhaps illegal" activity that would have supplemented severance packages by $1.6 million total, according to a statement from Maplewood City Manager Melinda Coleman.
As calls have gone up and the part-time staff force has decreased in size, Maplewood decided to switch to a full-time staffing model in the fire department.
City staff proposed severance packages and a March 9 termination date to the association, and the city council approved the packages Feb. 12.
Before the council approved the decision, members of the association expressed concern that the city would not offer what they considered to be fair severance packages. They said the city unnecessarily rushed their termination to limit their severance packages.
The city admitted to choosing an early termination date in order to save money, but said the severance packages were still fair, done in good faith, and generous, as ordered by the council.
That changed after the city said it found association members were meeting secretly.
"In two secret meetings, the leaders of the relief association changed the structure of their pension fund, along with its rules governing years of service and eligibility, to ensure their members would gain tens of thousands of dollars in extra payouts. In at least one case, that extra payout could be $130,000," Coleman said in a statement.
Part-time staffers will now be terminated as of Feb. 28, nine days earlier than the previous date set. They will still be paid for the shifts they were scheduled to work during those nine days, and full-time firefighters covered the shifts.
The city also sued the association.
"Maplewood taxpayers would not stand for any group of part-time workers engineering payouts to themselves for as much as $130,000 in excess of what they're owed, particularly without public scrutiny."
Members of the board of the association could not immediately be reached for comment Wednesday.
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