PEORIA, IL—One of the two shuttered fire houses in the city could come back online until March 2021 under a proposed agreement by the local firefighters union.
But whether City Hall, which took two engines offline as a way to save money during the pandemic, accepts the deal is unknown.
Ryan Brady, the head of Local 50 which represents the Peoria Fire Department, said the union would drop an unfair labor practice lawsuit and use the anticipated $500,000 judgment they had won to help replace one fire engine.
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"We would use that exposure, the money that we are owed, and use that to put an engine back on the street. We are willing to do that as we want it back in the neighborhood," he said.
The deal would also call for the addition of seven firefighter positions which could be staffed through overtime or the hiring of new employees. Brady said he wasn't sure which option would be chosen.
In a statement, City Hall confirmed the proposal, saying the two sides have been in a series of negotiations since April over how many machines—the local term for fire trucks—would remain in service. The negotiations kicked into high gear after the council voted in late August to cut the two engines and shutter Stations 4 and 20.
"In an effort to address the impact of that decommissioning and to settle an unfair labor practice filed by the Union, Local 50 presented the City with a proposal to restore machines back into service," the city's statement said. "Local 50 voted to settle the unfair labor practice if the City would restore one machine into service, at least through March 31, 2021."
That date could be a sign that the city isn't kicking in any money. The estimated cost to staff a fire engine is about $1.1 million, give or take. The union's decision to forego the $600,000 is about half that, or six months, which would push a final decision out to March.
The deal, however, still has to get council approval, which could come at a special meeting since the budgetary cuts are supposed to take effect on Oct. 1.
It wasn't clear which engine—4, which covers South Peoria, or 20, which covers far North Peoria—would come back as part of this deal.
Station 4 was to close on Oct. 1, while Station 20 was to close at some time yet to be determined.
The union had been bargaining with the city for weeks to save jobs and keep fire houses open. The elimination of a fire truck often results in the closure of a house.
Proposals have been going back and forth, Brady said. This most recent one was voted upon by the membership this week.
Brady said the union, obviously, favored hiring more employees not just for safety's sake, but for diversity issues.
"We lost two arms and a leg. Most of the gentlemen who took the voluntary separation were African-American. That was due to the length of service and that they were ready to retire," he said.
The issue to take two engines off line has been controversial and led to hours upon hours of debate at council meetings.
At-Large Councilman Zachary Oyler said he's opposed to the proposal, despite the apparent minimal cost to the city. He notes the matter is still pending in court and likely not resolved for a while not. The city could win on appeal, he notes.
But beyond that, bringing a truck back doesn't solve the financial mess Peoria faces.
"We are going to be facing the same budgetary constraints next year and will have to evaluate how we'd pay for it (the engine) next year," said the councilman who has been one of the votes to trim the machines and the firefighters from the budget.
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