"FTM"
Negotiations Meeting, October 17, 2006

With 24 Brothers and Sisters in attendance on the "why don't we deserve better" side of the table, the meeting started promptly at 1400 hrs.  The city started this round of negotiations by offering AD&D insurance to each member in an amount equal to your annual pay, rounded-up to the nearest $1000.  We can't be sure what this product is actually costing the city, but if history tells us anything - it's either really cheap or they're getting it for nothing as part of another package.  Results:  No change in status.

Discussion ensued concerning the city's adamant position on retaining our 'entire' annual physical results.  The dept. receives and stores a 'summary' report, while the city and the individual member receive copies of the entire annual physical results.  The Union's position is a simple one.  Once the medical contractor forwards an annual physical summary to the city, depending on their findings, members are either good to keep working or notations are made to exceptions to the summary that may affect the member's work status.  Any follow-up medical attention is in the hands of YOU and your primary care physician - not the city or the contractor.  The Union is looking into the prospect of submitting language that would allow the city to continue to store your entire annual physical results, while not reading it's contents if no problems are cited.  (Get ready after any language change, to the contractor always finding 'something' to note!  Annual physicals go out to contractor bid again in December.  Don't hold your breath.  You'll be seeing Dr. Death again! Results: No change in status.

The "Conditions of Employment" article was brought up again by the city.  Forest Gump said it best with his, "I am not a smart man..." line.  If we can't attract new hires - if we can't keep Paramedics - what's the point in raising the bar without potential reward?  Communities as close as Tampa and Hillsborough County have raised the bar by requiring all new hires to be to become medic's by a date certain.  Accordingly, they've also initiated a "quid pro quo" method of attracting and keeping their employment coffers full!  Results:  No change in status.

Karen Richardson started with a John Kerry impersonation to kick-off the pay article discussions.  She stated that their previous offer of 3% was really closer to 4% if one considered the fact that the city increased the monies in some of the lower pay steps.  As witnessed by the audience disdain, lower pay step increases aren't pensionable to 30 year employees!  Karen made it abundantly clear that increasing the monies in the lower pay steps is an attempt to make SPF&R more attractive to potential job seekers.  "Gee... we always used to be!"  Continuing to propel her winning edge forward, Karen offered the masses a three year deal at 3.5, 3.5 & 3.5%.  To wit, President Winnie Newton countered with the fact that Karen's romantic notion of attracting new hires with an increase in entry pay ONLY was short sighted at best. 

Real incentives that have been successful at both attracting new hires and retaining valued long term employees within twenty miles of St. Petersburg include:


As we've become accustomed, Karen again mouthed the often heard refrain, "at this time the city is not interested in moving towards... (you fill in the blank with any of the above)!"  Confronting Karen on the issue of attracting new hires, President Newton asked if the bulleted items above weren't considered to be of value in 'attracting' new hires?  If memory serves me, her exact words with regards to a reduced work week were, "the city has no interest in a 48 hour week!"  Karen pointed out the fact that she and her staff have canvassed other department's pay and benefits packages and that "not all" of the other departments offer the above benefits.  Upon hearing that statement, the audience of Brothers and Sisters muttered amongst themselves that "we" don't enjoy "any" of the above improvements in working conditions that others as close as Tampa or Hillsborough enjoy! 

Much discussion ensued concerning the reduction in work week to 48 hours.  In true bargaining fashion President Newton asked if it were possible to look into providing a Kelly Day every ten shifts rather than our previously proposed Kelly Day cycle of every seven shifts (three weeks apart). Since Karen has exhibited "0" ability to actively negotiate at the table on behalf of the city, we didn't get a 'read' either way as to where she might go with this proposal.  In essense - GOD forbid that 'we' should propose ANYTHING at the table, lest we'd be accused by some of "making changes!"  "Well, no shit" - that's called bargaining and some with their noses in the air have forgotten how it works.

You might also be interested to note that there were no changes proposed by the city as they pertain to "incentive" pay's.  This being the case, we again pressed the issue on making Paramedic and EMT pay classifications.  Karen countered with ----- well... I'll let you guess what she said about that.  Distilled version: why pay for the milk when you already own the cow? -ed

President Newton asked if Karen's latest offer was they city's "best and final offer."  She stated, "no it's not."  Obviously a new requirement to negotiations has been added to the city bag of magic tricks to which we have not been officially notified.  "Allow several weeks or months to transpire between offers and sessions for maximal shock and awe value."

Since this drama has been dragging on for more than 950 days - in that time we managed to pull out a one year (pay only) contract a year late.  And noting the fact that we're now another full year behind, President Newton announced that since we were miles apart on pay, working and pension incentives...  "St. Petersburg Association of Fire Fighters declares impasse!"


Negotiations Meeting, August 17, 2006
Nothing new to report - City stonewalling


Negotiations Meeting, July 27, 2006

The first round of negotiations to be held in over five months, came off as something of a disappointment to say the least.  When we last met with the Mayor's water carriers, they had thrown 4%, 5% & 6% G.W.I. on the table with no other incentives to work week or pension.

There are no new initiatives to report! 

Apparently Karen Richardson has new marching orders from the Mayor of our "Major League" city. 3%, 3% & 3% G.W.I. was offered across a three year contract time span.  Seems reasonable enough to me.  It's only 6% shy of their last offer in February.  If these terms were offered to any other bargaining unit in the city, they'd no doubt take it.  Not us... we wrote the old figures down!

No COLA!  Your Brothers and Sisters at SPPD have it, but you and I won't be getting it offered to us anytime soon.  We are currently paying 7% into our pension, which is rubbing the upper rail of what is a reasonable contribution.  Even with us offering to pay an additional 1% into our pension, the city believes that it would be too expensive a proposition.  The city is also of the belief that paying 8% into one's pension is a bit too much to ask and would act as a detractor from new employment. 


NO!  "WE'RE" A DETRACTOR FROM NEW EMPLOYMENT.


The city proposed to remove a couple of pay steps from the bottom of the step program with the addition of... hold on to your ass - two more steps to the top of the pay plan!  This effort in futility is being bandied about as a means to remedy the poor turnout in St. Petersburg Fire & Rescue's all too short employment line.  I can see it now... ask me if St. Petersburg Fire & Rescue is a place to fulfill a career as a Fire Fighter or Paramedic.  There's no incentive here, folks.  Any time the city makes ANY kind of 'offer' that we are not involved in, WE TAKE A GIANT SCREWING!

Are these the beginnings of "New Clearwater?"

EXTRA EXTRA - All new this year... CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT!
If you wish to work for this Major League city, upon being employed, each new hire will agree to:

DOH!  Someone let the cat out of the bag.  We're sending folks to Paramedic school on the City's dime and they're GOING TO WORK FOR HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY FIRE RESCUE!

Judging from today's activities, everything at SPF&R is going smoothly.  We've offered our opinions as to what might cause a person to both apply for a job and stick it out through 25 or 30 years - but then I pinch myself and ask,  "Hey, aren't these the same boneheads at City Hall that can't stop the mass exodus of 80 or 90 Police Officers from walking out the door, e-v-e-r-y year?"

One might find this bitter pill easier to swallow if the City of St. Petersburg were in dire straights. But it's not.  The good Mayor has proffered his $5.4 million dollar, millage rate reduction to City Council.  He's set aside $50 million dollars to rebuild the Pier.  The yacht basin is being readied for a $6 million dollar recharge and there's $10 million dollars in the emergency fund - not to mention the fact that the city issued permits for $413,000,000.00 in new construction last year!

It would seem as though all of the brick and mortar infrastructure in St. Petersburg were being properly taken care of, but the people who mitigate all of the hazards in this city are being all but forgotten about!

In a just received email from a Brother From Another Mother - he comments, "It's no doubt going to get worse before it gets better!"

Agreed.  But for whom! 


If you think that we're the least bit insulted by this city's shitty offer, we've got news for all of you at City Hall.  We're long past being insulted by any of you.  We've been insulted by the best.

Here's an idea... put back the $71,000,000.00 the city owes our pension plan and we'll let you in on what really gets under our collective skins!
A Look Back