KPTM FOX 42: Omaha News, Sports and Weather; Nebraska News, Sports; kptm.com | Suttle, Fire Union Annc First Part of Tentative Agreement
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OMAHA (KPTM) - Omaha Mayor Jim Suttle and the Omaha Fire union announced a tentative agreement for a new 5-year contract that includes wage freezes.
Suttle and fire union president Steve LeClair announced the agreement Wednesday morning, which includes wage freezes in 2009-2010.
The agreement then gives firefighters wage increases of between 3.25-5.75% during the remaining 3 years.
The two sides are still working out language addressing retirement, especially pension shortfall and spiking.
The city council is currently looking at the option of eliminating a minimum staffing requirement passed a few years ago.
Opponents of the requirement say no other city has such a requirement, and eliminating it would save the city as much as $5 million dollars (according to an independent audit cited by Omaha businessman Dave Nabity).
Proponents of minimum staffing say the minimum staffing level isn't arbitrary, it's the lowest number recommended by national experts. "This is not about dollars and cents to us. It's about the safety factor. It's about a level of protection that has been provided to the citizens of Omaha," LeClair said Tuesday afternoon.
LeClair, who was visibly concerned at Wednesday morning's announcement about attacks made against the fire union recently, says the union is working to do its part to assist in dealing with the city's budget shortfall.
"There have been a lot of selfish comments made, a lot of greedy comments made," LeClair says. "But just like in 2004, when we answered the call then, and just like we answer the bell everyday now, we're going to answer the bell again," he says, likely referring to the Butternut building fire in January 2004.
LeClair says he has no comment on the budget proposal made by five city councilmembers earlier Wednesday morning, which among other things, calls for two week furloughs for all city employees (including police and fire departments) without pay.
