Tulsa Union Headed to Court to Save Positions

Jan. 15, 2014
They are seeking a court order preventing the city from eliminating positions including the department's public education unit.

Jan. 15--Tulsa's fire union is seeking a court order preventing the city from eliminating positions including the department's public education unit.

The International Association of Fire Fighters Local 176 filed its petition for a temporary restraining order and other relief Monday in Tulsa County District Court, records show.

The city's plan amounts to "unilateral changes to wages, hours and working conditions" covered by the collective bargaining agreement between the union and the city, the petition states. The union also filed an unfair labor practice allegation against the city with the Public Employees Relations Board.

The petition seeks an order prohibiting the city from implementing the job changes until the union's pending grievance and labor action is resolved.

District Judge Daman Cantrell has been assigned the petition but has not set a hearing.

Chad Miller, union president, said the city "has left us no other choice."

"Those are all things we've negotiated over and part of our contract," he said.

The mayor's office released a plan last week to cut $7 million from the city's budget to address a revenue shortfall. Most of the savings came from not filling budgeted positions, but the Fire Department's plan called for shifting positions back into the field.

The positions include the department's four-person public education unit, which makes public presentations on fire safety and distributes smoke detectors after fatal fires. Firefighter Tom Hufford, who created a fire safety character named "Huffy the Clown," is part of the unit.

Although some city councilors expressed concerns last week about eliminating the education unit, Mayor Dewey Bartlett said he backed the plan. He said the education positions were less of a priority than having firefighters in the field.

Kim MacLeod, spokeswoman for the city, said in an email to the Tulsa World: "The positions in pub ed are not being abolished."

MacLeod said firefighters on light duty "will be keeping all appointments in schools etc. and presentations that have been scheduled as well as continue on with new appointments."

Miller said the city's plan does call for eliminating positions and would have a negative impact.

"I don't think you can eliminate a division like that and the work those people do and not have an impact on public safety," he said.

Much of the projected savings in the city's plan could be achieved by delaying a planned fire academy, he said. The academy is scheduled to start next month.

In addition to the public education unit, Miller said the city plans to shift two positions that will staff units supplying additional oxygen tanks and other equipment at fires.

"With every other department, all of their savings in that plan is coming from vacant positions," he said. "We're really the only department that is actually cutting back on our people."

The city also told Miller last week it planned to eliminate the position of union president and transfer that job back to the field. He said that action and the city's plan as a whole were "political payback" for the union's outspoken positions.

Miller said city officials told him days later "they wouldn't be making any changes to my position."

MacLeod confirmed that the city no longer plans to eliminate the union president's position.

Ziva Branstetter 918-581-8306

[email protected]

Copyright 2014 - Tulsa World, Okla.

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