Received via Email: 07-28-13 My intel says that the union put the following on the table in exchange for the additional rday:
>>>reduction of vacation hours which means 56 less hours per year
>>>loss of one FF vacation slot to medics
>>>loss of the first pay raise in 4 years
>>>loss of step raises for those still in the step
>>>ok with the necessity of having to work additional overtime to cover the additional 7-8 people off each and every day
>>>on top of all of this the city will not commit to a % for the 2nd and 3rd years
Can this get any better?
PD still has their take home cars.
Capts and DCs still have their reduced work week and still call out sick.
HQ still comes and goes as it pleases using already understaffed shift personnel to keep their desk chairs warm, and now we will get to run at least 2,000 more calls because your Mayor, Fire Chief, and Union President dont give a shit about us.
TEAM: Great compilation.
Also, please note the following: Trading a GWI for another Kelly Day = guaranteed loss in pensionable income into retirement. Our DROP benefits are based on top pay. And if Bill Foster chooses not to hire more firefighters (the budget is already set) to make up for staffing losses, mandatory OT just before your Kelly Day will become the norm. Taking an additional Kelly Day and then being forced to work more hours outside of your regular schedule means more hours worked in a year that are not guaranteed payable at time & one half rate and they are not pensionable. The notion of an additional Kelly Day is to reduce your stress and physical & mental fatigue. St. Petersburg has been and will continue to be a city that treats its firefighters with half-measure benefits that need constant attention when not bargained-for properly.
The Captains and DC's gave up a pay raise in the first year of their contract to get the additional Kelly Day. The offer currently being made to all of us essentially says that the Captains and DC's will get their 2% GWI (if that's how they vote) but all of us who perform the heavy lifting have to pay with an additional year's loss of GWI plus - causing an even larger pay and benefits gap between the two units. These half-measures don't promote unity amongst the two units - they seek to create more internal conflict.
Received via Email: 07-28-13 The only time I caught Blank on TV we were all sitting in the firehouse watching a county commission meeting and he got up and said I AM NOT WINNIE NEWTON. I'm not shitting you, I have witnesses. He's good ab softball and bad at bullshitting his way through life. That's all.
Received via Email: 07-28-13 Question: How many of you who voted for Michael Blank and Steve Hay think they are capable of defending us like this? Nope, never happen. Other than what the Mayor said There was not a single joke made or humorous moment during the entire 11 minute interview.
Received via Email: 07-29-13 Is it true that at the last negotiations session all of the great proposals that guarantee us losses in every column were presented by a Chief? Why? When did we elect a Chief as our negotiator? Oh yeah, when we gave away the keys to our souls by electing Chief Large as our new President. This is assinine. I cant imagine how this is being allowed to happen. Let the chiefs negotiate for their contract if they want to, but leave the Rank and File unit alone. Just another example of how Blank and Hay are willing to let someone else do the work because they both realize that they have no clue.
Received via Email: 07-29-13 I bet the old pension guys will be happy to give up a few more annual raises in order to see their working brothers and sisters score another R day.
Just like when they voted to keep their pensions and set up a supplemental program for new guys, it's all about taking care of the people that are going to be out there protecting us for years to come.
Go team!
Received via Email: 07-29-13 7-28 #2 Maybe a better question is this. We know Blank can't keep a single thought straight in his head but he can start a FB page just like Miami. He can announce brownouts daily just like Miami. He can organize daily demonstrations just like Miami. Am I being unfair or am I telling the truth and your ust avoiding the 800 lb. elephant in the room? To do all that he'd have to come out against a mayor and a fire chief who are both anti labor and he doesn't have the guts to do what needs to be done. Where are Winnie and Rick?
Received via Email: 07-29-13 Hey Large you want to be popular with the firefighters, then get us an R day like the DCs have and a 2% raise like they are getting. You may then have some respect. Until then Faggitaboutit !!!
Received via Email: 07-30-13 How do you folks like the added overtime and the mandatory overtime that has been shovled on you lately? Now just think, under the Richie Johnson plan on page 2 that you never saw, his proposal has us filling in for the additional 7-8 people that will be off each day. Lets see, at 12 hour shifts that works out to 14 more overtime slots each and every day. Oh yeah thats gonna be a hoot. Steve Hay told the HR guy at the negotiations table last week that we wont mind working more hours to get some more time off. WTF did he just say? How does a proposal for a REDUCED work week require anyone to work more hours? To recap, this extra time off will cost us, a 2% pensionible wage increase, no steps for those still in that range, no increases to the premium pays, a reduction of 56 hours in our annual vacation earnings, reallocation of the 10 vacation slots taking 1 from the FF and adding 1 to the medics. Richie Johnson sez we are willing to give up a pensionible wage increase that will compound for the rest of your life and trade it for non pensionible forced overtime. I hope we aint that gullible. See this for what it is, just another way to get the slaves to work harder for less.
Received via Email: 07-30-13 Everybody needs to take a step back and ask yourselves when anyone on management's side of the table agreed to anything that the weakest union leader in Pinellas County has proposed during his two year term. Ask yourself what Blank has done in two whole years. You're drawing a BLANK aren't you? There's nothing there. No record of achievement or advancement whatsoever. Real people in the real world don't take him seriously so they don't take us seriously. We're getting nothing and going nowhere with Blank and Hay in office.
Received via Email: 07-30-13 oh just wait till Oct 1st that's when the ot will really be going then
Received via Email: 07-31-13 Vote NO on this contract offer. We are giving up WAAAAAYYYY more than we are getting. Oh, and once you give it up, YOU'LL NEVER GET IT BACK! True story.
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
Please Elect Br. John Barfield to the Office of
~A Shift Vice President - Local 747~
July 31, 2013
Brothers and Sisters,
I am sending each of you this letter to announce that I am seeking the position of A Shift Vice President of Local 747. I have been a member of SPFR & unwavering supporter of Local 747 for 29 years. In that time I have not only watched but been involved in activities that promote and serve our members. I feel the time has come for me to take the next step and run for A Shift Vice President.
I offer my experience and loyalty to all of you. I have served on several committees over the years, from Rules & Regulations to the Employee Review Board as well as the EMS Steering Committee. By keeping track of changes in dept. rules and policies as well as understanding our Collective Bargaining Agreement, I have successfully fought unjust discipline.
With recent changes in our local leadership I feel that there should be more input from members. I believe that our union should operate with complete transparency and that’s something that is now missing. I want to be an advocate for the A Shift and any other member who needs assistance. We, as dues paying members should know exactly what is going on; from negotiations to educational events at state conventions, to political workshops held by the FPF and others. If I am elected as your A Shift Vice President, I will ensure each of you that this information is made available to help empower each of you to more actively understand our union.
I am preparing to enter the DROP but it is not my intention to simply wait for retirement to come. The Brother and Sisterhood has inspired me over the many years to give back. I still look forward to coming to work each shift. I am not seeking promotion and have not aligned myself with any ‘cliques’. I will guarantee fair and honest representation if you choose to honor me with your vote. I am available to speak to anyone that has any questions or concerns regarding my motivation to serve.
Feel free to call me direct at: 727-698-0598 or contact me at Station 8.
Fraternally,
John F. Barfield
* Brothers & Sisters, I submitted my intent to run for A shift VP to Pres. Blank around July 19, 2013. At a recent training session at the drill grounds, my longtime friend and coworker John Mellny told me that he too, was going to run for the position. I said "Really? What made you decide to do this?" The answer, (and I have no reason to lie to anyone here) "B***k asked me to."
Lately, I have witnessed more & more people speaking-out at Union Meetings and in the stations. Fear of informed members scares the crap out of lame duck leaders.
This election is important. There needs to be more accountability. People slated to protect you should know all of the rules of the city & union. These hard earned rights are all we have. There is no reason for anyone in a position of "leadership" to misrepresent them and offer less to us, the paid members of Local 747. While some of you like me; some not, I promise all of you an honest, to the point job from me to you.
Please do not listen to rumors, call me directly and I will answer any questions you may have.
Fraternally,
JFB
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
Received via Email: 07-31-13
I believe what John Barfield says is true. Follow me here:
Melny is on the A shift.
Melny is at Sta. 6.
Melny is a medic who drives.
Melny rarely moves anymore.
Hay is his officer at Sta. 6..
Hay is VP.
Hay and Blank share the same lame ass views.
Blank asked Melny because they share the same lame ass views.
Blank and Hay and now Melny. More of the same old day late and a dollar short thinking.
Melny is running because Drunk Santa asked.
Barfield explains why he's running in his letter.
Barfield don't talk to be liked, he talks to be heard.
Received via Email: 07-31-13 JB someone says it like it is. good luck. If I was an a shifter you would get my vote.
Received via Email: 08-01-13 Barfield is a straight shooter. He doesn't have a "master plan" like some of these guys. I think he'll do a good job by everyone.
Received via Email: 08-01-13 Uhhhhh...... is it just me or is there something funny about someone having to be drafted for the job? Lets see now...... the council, mayor and fire chief have already figured out Blank and Hays strategy (they have none) but we haven't yet??? Come on folks. Barfield is stepping up while Blank is asking Melney to move in. Really??? I think I'll transfer to the A shift for a few weeks.
Received via Email: 08-01-13 To the post that sez it all, you forgot to include that Mark Sweet is also at Station 6, and Station 6 is a lifetime member of the union bashing Fox news, and Rush Limbaugh believers club. There is enough covert shit going on now. To have the EVP, A-VP, and the B-VP all in the same station would just enable the cloak of secrecy to grow larger. Mellny talks good but he has become a follower. For him the union is only good enough for what he can get out of it for himself.
Received via Email: 08-01-13 now you know why this site is required reading. HQ hates it because they cant control it.
Received via Email: 08-01-13 You got my vote JB. There has been enough injustice lately with no more real defense for good standing members of our local. Many know you (JB) will fight hard against the current unfair Tyranny going on by the so called HQ leaders.
Received via Email: 08-01-13 So who's running against Blank???
Received via Email: 08-01-13 Glad to see JB jump in. I don' always agree with him, but he speaks from the heart and has no hidden agenda.
Received via Email: 08-01-13 Go Pauley, You got my vote for Pres.
Received via Email: 08-02-13 Is Pauley officially running for office? Is that for sure?
Received via Email: 08-02-13 not sure if any of you care but the guys at the Park dodged a bullet and there will be no layoffs because of you chiefs little back stab just fyi
Received via Email: 08-02-13 I uploaded the last contract negotiations session video to YouTube early this morning.
Fraternally,
Jon Pearl - 9C
Received via Email: 08-02-13 Mr. Webmaster, why aren't you advertising for a new union president? This one doesn't what to say or when to say it and I can tell from the video that he really wants to tell the other side the secret to the beans.
TEAM: Funny... looked like he and the VP were doing a great job.
Received via Email: 08-02-13 Blank talks too much without saying anything at all. The secret to not sounding ignorant is not to be ignorant in the first place. And Hay, you don't speak for me. I hope the city agrees to your stupidity and then we get a chance to vote on working more hours to take off more hours. Fuck.................it even sounds stupid.
Received via Email: 08-02-13 The firefighters at St Pete do care about our brothers in the Park. Unfortunately, our chiefs don't give a rat about their own firefighters so they surely wouldn't care about you guys. But know this, your brother and sister firefighters do care and think it was a crappy back door deal dealt to you by our back stabbing chiefs.
Received via Email: 08-03-13 What happened to C. Moore? I thought he was being groomed to be the next messiah. MTB gave him the keys to be the MDA cooridinator, 31 days to go until the MDA Labor day telethon and so far all we have done as a local is to give Clearwater $275.00 so we can have a bunch of drunkards represent us in a Volleyball game. Wow thats impressive. Then MTB decides to take him to the State convention to represent all of us as a voting Delegate. C. Moore isnt a Shift VP, Trustee, or even a station steward, but I guess he was needed to tote his daddy's jock strap and to hone his back stabbing skills from the best. It sounds to me that C. Moore uses Local 747 as his personnal trip ticket. Just another example of how Mike Blank has used Local 747 and its bank account to do absolutely nothing.
Received via Email: 08-05-13 OMG it was SO HARD to watch Blank stumble through the negotiations. I almost felt sorry for him.. NOT! An idiot is an idiot.. Knight laughing, the city shyster leading MTB to wher he wants him... GOD please run Pauly or come back Winnie!!
Received via Email: 08-05-13 Mike Blank and Steve Hay are what happens to a union when the voting members are asleep in the backseat during the entire trip over the cliff.
Received via Email: 08-05-13 Knight still arrogant but he's only in charge of one, the captain of EMS. LOL
Received via Email: 08-05-13 We have T13 OOS today. T35 running the howard Franklin bridge calls. In oct, T35 will be running all HF bridge calls for free courtesy of the 36 takeover. Because T13 will be bye bye for good
Received via Email: 08-05-13 Knight thinks he is so cool sitting back all smirking. What a tool. He is one of the sole reasons our department is in the crapper. He is a all about himself and could care less about anyone at SPFR, The little boy is nothing like his Daddy. And never will be.
Received via Email: 08-05-13 They are pretty much the same,his Daddy was just better at hiding it.
Received via Email: 08-10-13 When we getting that big raise and R day? You know the check book is open
Received via Email: 08-10-13 The checkbook might be open to some, but the Mayor says in his debate info, that he will continue with budget reductions. I wonder how this important information escaped the 2 idiots that still insist that they made the best decision for us? I mean after all of the extensive research and vetting of the other candidates its odd that this type of a question was NEVER asked? Keep walking the walk and talking the bullshit Mike and get ready for an E ticket ride straight into oblivion.
Received via Email: 08-10-13 Now think about this one for a minute and let me know if your temp goes up as much as mine did. Hind tit and ass muncher are doing their collective best to trade our first pay raise in 4 years into a great opportunity for us to work bo-coo unpensionable, non vacation or sick leave accuring hours. If this happens the retirees from the old pension will not get an increase in their pensions either. However, MTB is at the same time pushing the Mayor to give the forgotten 157 a 3% Cost of Living adjustment. Did I just uncover yet another of the idiots 25 stupidest moments in history? I still dont get it. Anybody but Winnie is proving to be as stupid an idea as what MTB is proving to be.
Received via Email: 08-10-13 Want to hear a story? I had a Sunstar guy come up to me and tell me that he heard we were getting another R day. I quickly put that rumor to rest by explaining to him what all had to take place for it to happen. He said WAIT A MINUTE. YOU GUYS ARE GOING TO START GETTING MANDITORIED 12 HOURS AT A TIME TO TAKE 24 OFF? I vote for the SS guy for president. He don't work here and he gets it.
Received via Email: 08-10-14 Todays negotiation session was proof positive that this Mayor has no respect for this department. The ridculous idea that we use our raise and step increases for the nest 2 years to provide enough firefighters to properly staff the cities fire equipment was the lowest anyone could ever go. I would rather he just come into the room and spit in my face. And then on top of that, we were given a directive on how to run the balloting process for this abortion. How is it that the Mayor can see that we have incapable drivers at our wheel but we cant believe what is being proven daily as the truth. I only have 3 more years and I am not putting any faith in ever seeing another true wage increase. I hope Im wrong but I hope more that the reign of frick and frack will soon be ended.
Received via Email: 08-15-14 I cant believe it, I just cant believe it. Mayor Foster has just given us the most unlikly opportunity that I have ever heard of, and quite possibly something that hasnt been done in many years. Mayor Foster has placed a provision on the table that would allow us as his slaves to now own our own slaves. We would use our money set asisde as a raise and give it back to the Mayor, where he would then allow us to go out and buy us some slaves to help with the cities work load. Wow, in this age of diversity and equal opportunity I would have never thought that is what it was all about. Now of course we would have it quite the same as the Mayor has it now, we would only have control over 11 to 21 people where he is over all of us. I have never thought about being a slave owner, and dont really want to start now, so how should I answer this latest offer by the Mayor. Umm lets see.....thinking.....Wait I got it. R U F'in nuts? Go back under the rock you slithered from Mr. Foster, you are a disgrace to mankind. I wont even call you a Mutt, because i dont want to offend the Bitch that bore you.
Received via Email: 08-15-14 I heard that Richie Johnson spoke up for the Supervisors and told Guella that they didn't want any part of a 3 year contract with a 1 year raise. Yeah, no shit. So what's your story Blank? Time to step down, fuckup!
Received via Email: 08-16-14 For those of you who missed the union meeting last night, how 'bout a little recap?
It was announced that Blank and Hay have been to meet with Foster twice in the past couple of weeks to firm-up their intentions at negotiations. Well... they are now totally exasperated, as they have been entirely ineffective at changing the direction that the rank & file contract negotiations are moving, in. Everyone continues to comment that we're being stymied by a Mayor who we officially endorsed. Gee, why do you suppose that is? We've been told by negotiators that any benefit beyond the 2% GWI (that has been promised to virtually everyone in the city), must to be cost neutral! Hmmm... That doesn't sound like any movement to me, either. Or how 'bout this? If we want the same 48 hour schedule that the Captains and DC's gave up a pay raise to get, we have the 'opportunity' to get it by using the 2% GWI as a down payment along with freezing the steps of our younger members who are getting married, buying homes and having babies. Brothers and Sisters, we already sacrificed a pay raise and now they want another?
Blank and Hay when confronted with the fact that Foster isn't acting at all like he thinks we're all on the same team, seemed shocked... dumbfounded, even. With total disbelieve in his voice that his boy has abandoned us, Hay responded with a loud "I know!" during the E-Board meeting. And "Yeah, we know!" exclaimed Blank to the same statement, after the conclusion of the meeting.
But they don't blame Foster. Nope! Not all all. Actually, I don't blame Foster, either. Remember Aesop's fable about the scorpion and the frog?
The Scorpion and the Frog
A scorpion and a frog meet on the bank of a stream and the
scorpion asks the frog to carry him across on its back. The
frog asks, "How do I know you won't sting me?" The scorpion
says, "Because if I do, I will die too."
The frog is satisfied, and they set out, but in midstream,
the scorpion stings the frog. The frog feels the onset of
paralysis and starts to sink, knowing they both will drown,
but has just enough time to gasp "Why?"
Replies the scorpion: "Its my nature..."
Foster is doing what most all of us who aren't under the delusion that you can simply write a check and hold a sign and be instant allies - already knew. He was illegitimately endorsed and illegitimately backed by our Local in a backroom deal that's been exposed to the light of day. So our reward is to drown while President Blank and Executive Vice President Hay blame none other than -- -- -- -- -- Fire Chief Jim Large.
I don't Blame Jimmy Large for a lack of movement on the city's behalf, either. Even if he's 100% behind the hold up, he - is - not - the - problem! Like the Mayor, Jimmy Large is a known quantity. If you can rub two brain cells together, you ought to recognize that.
Here's the bottom line. If the powers that be don't respect your authority - if don't fear what you and your members are capable of - then all is lost!
In closing...
Your life as a union member is going to go by very quickly. It's going to move very fast in three year installments over more then thirty years. Because Fire Fighting is a respected, dangerous profession, you get a lot of say in how you're treated but it's up to you to form alliances with decision makers and then assert yourself in matters within your purview. It's up to you to decide if this is the year you advance your cause by fighting for it or simply wait around another three years so see if the handouts are any better.
Fraternally,
Jon Pearl - C Shift Vice President, IAFF Local 747
Received via Email: 08-17-14 Isn't it funny brother Pearl that a walk on player like Richie Johnson can take over for the supervisory unit and they're willing to listen to anything he's got to offer without snickering? We've got nobody to blame but ourselves. FTM
Received via Email: 08-17-14 It's amazing that no one has bothered to file a ULP against the city for back bargaining. The act of offering something and then pulling it back in order to offer the same thing for less is called back bargaining. It's against the rules found in PERC. They may have changed or discontinued this part of the law but it should be looked into.
It's no different than agreeing to a pay raise and then not funding it. That's also considered an ULP and is being employed right now at the bargaining table by the city. The original offer of 3% was a legitimate offer but then the mayor only found enough financing to fund 2% city wide and now the offer is only 2% . . . down from 3%. Why? Non-funding. The city is blatantly putting offers on the table and then taking them back only to re-offer them at a lower amount. It's against the PERC law and the city gets away with it because no one on the bargaining committee is smart enough or skilled enough to recognize it. Even the spirit guide Mike Moore is silent on this.
You are not only being run over at the bargaining table by the city negotiator but also crippled by a bargaining team that either has no knowledge or has no spine for calling out the city when they break the law. I can only imagine that the membership approves of this stupidity on the part of the leadership or is too lazy to give a damn. I'll have to take door number two since it's not up to the membership to know the law or to file ULP's.
Richie Johnson. Who the hell is Richie Johnson? The crown fool who's been designated the mouthpiece for the Supervisory Unit. It shouldn't surprise you that he's another unskilled, uninformed, and totally unworthy pawn used by Dumb to buffer himself from the members of the Supervisory Unit. He needs virtually nothing to be successful since the all the work getting the SU the benefits they now enjoy was already in place and completed. They're ignoring this rubber chicken since they already have what they wanted. And by the time they need something else he'll be a distant memory. And don't think they're not snickering. They definitely are.
As of right now it's not your year. The political process has left the membership in disarray, the bargaining is at the level of stupid is as stupid does, and the membership has slept through the whole thing. Brother Pearl's bottom line is totally accurate. All is lost. It was lost three years ago. It would be better to shut up and go about your business and wait for handouts, if there are any, three years from now. Sign off on a contract offer that will make working harder and taking home more money a pipe dream. You earned it. You collectively have no one but yourselves to blame.
Dick Tully
TEAM: Dick, we're not sure that 3% has been mentioned, although 2.5% has been, by Chris Guella. He had mentioned on a couple of occassions, that 2 - 2.5% might be in the offing.
Of course, if 2.5% was the high number, they'll submit that it wasn't offered up in negotiations, merely a heads-up on future negotiations.
Received via Email: 08-19-14 Sorry about that mistake in the numbers. Please insert 2.5% in place of 3% and read again. Here's the thing. At my age misteaks are very common. And trying to help school and educate those in the group who have no knowledge of unions nor are willing to do more than pay dues is a very large and mostly futile undertaking. Mistakes are going to happen. But they should also be taken in the same vein as negotiations. I'm trying. And that's all anyone can expect, isn't it?
Dick Tully
TEAM: Apogies not necessary. You have a better grasp on what's needed than most paying full dues.
Received via Email: 08-19-14 Blank has been MFing Large everyday. That is commendable since it is true. The sad part is, although Mikey Blank and Stevie Hay are finally seeing what we have been telling them for years, it wont help them be any smarter when it comes to our Union. Sorry boys but time for you guys to step down and let Pauley take back the helm.
Received via Email: 08-19-14 Hey Blank, many are saying out in the companies that there is a way for you to get loads of credibility, save your name, and become a real man of honor. And by the way this is not a joke. Seriously, step down and admit that running the Union is made for someone like Rick Pauley who has the time, ability, and guts to tackle the city and our own worse enemy fire headquarters admin. Step down and let Rick win the election by default. You will be respected by all, relieve yourself of a constant headache, and make our Union much stronger by doing so. It is not that you are a bad guy, it is just that Rick is much better experienced and able to tackle the BS now and coming down the road. Enjoy your DROP and let Big Country handle our Union. We will all respect you immensely if you can do that. It will take a hell of a lot of guts, but We think you got what it takes to hand over the helm, Fella.
Received via Email: 08-19-14 8-19 #2 - I'll second that! and Blank.......if you take Hay with you I'll respect you even more.
Received via Email: 08-19-14 Hey Dick, that's the weakest fucking apology ever seen.
Received via Email: 08-20-14 8/19 #3 since you second it, All for that proposal say I. IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII 350 times. the I's have it. So there you have it Mikey Blank. You leave gracefully and you keep your honor.
Received via Email: 08-20-14 #5 8/19 No worries Dick, that apology was more than enough, Thats probably just our ole selfish prick of a leech Michael asshole Moore rearing up his worthless opinion. Just ignore it and keep posting the truth Brother Dick.
Received via Email: 08-20-14 Motion passed, Blank & hay OUT THE DOOR
Received via Email: 08-20-14 Blank and Hay we don't want you to go away mad. JUST GO AWAY.
Received via Email: 08-21-14 Rank and File negotiations session Thursday August 22nd. Room 800 MSC building, come and watch the KeyStone Cops in action.
Received via Email 08-22-13 Well, I guess the Mayor just played his last card. During todays Negotiation meeting with the city, there was NO movement. I guess the Mayor is still hoping that we will show our support on Monday and Tuesday next week holding signs and staffing polling places. NOT!!!!!!. Hey Mayor, you just had your last shot and as usual you failed BIG TIME..... (A)nybody (B)ut (B)ill ABB, should now be without a doubt the phrase openly spoken in every firehouse in this city. Oh yeah, I am still wondering how MTB and Steve Hay can believe in their hearts that Foster cares anything about anyone but himself.
TEAM: Same guy who forced us to spend $10,000 on an arbitration case for the DROP extension that he reneged on. They call that Union Busting in our book. FTM
Baltimore Firefighters Get 16.5 Percent Pay Hike; Unions, City Happy
They also will be required to work 47.5 hours weekly instead of 42.
Blank? Hay? Hello? WTF?
Note to self. If they laugh at you from across the table......it's not a good sign
Received via Email 08-22-13 If Blank and Hay want to get us a “good” contract, all they have to do is tell the city: "If you don't give us a "win", we have no chance of getting re-elected. If that happens, during the next negotiations, you're going to be sitting across from Pauley and Newton. We don't think you want that."
Received via Email 08-22-13 As we approach this election, I want to ask each member to review the facts and actions that have taken place in our Union Hall behind closed doors - both there and at City Hall (not to mention Tallahassee - just ask Bro. Mott). Vote for the candidate you see that has ours and the Tax payers best interests in mind. You do not have to blindly follow flawed leaders 'so called' screening committee decisions. You have a choice. This is very important. Local 747 as a unit cannot afford another term with someone that does not see us as important. Stand behind your beliefs. You're not a mutt if you can see what is important to your family and the work family too. To let someone shame you with threats of what might be if we don't back the current one, because they have never lost before!?
We are strong and that has been forgotten by certain leaders. Stand together and let them know we are not going to take it anymore. We can bring our Union back to the members, become strong & respected again and of course 'the big one'... successful in a real contract negotiations.
Fraternally,
J.F. Barfield
Received via Email 08-22-13 Blank and Hay your killing us dudes. Give it up and let someone else take over our local
Received via Email 08-23-13 Here is what is really sad. The latest negotiations are proving we are getting nowhere and no worthwhile benefits for all your hard work. Back when President Newton was president the tide was finally changing and the political backing we had in city hall was larger than ever, which meant change was finally going to happen and big benefits and full support was very very close if not already there. THEN BOOM, many uninformed members voted in Blank and then later Hay and what has it got US. No raises, No benefits, more unfair discipline by management ever in our history, Trucks out of service constantly and now cutting crews and increasing their territories as in the Station 13/36 debacle. So what is the answer? Well, not much you can do now, Your pensions are the next to be slashed and you better be sure its coming. The only hope to redeem our members from sure and certain DOOM is to vote for RICK PAULEY as Union President. Unfortunately Brother Newton has retired and RICK is the only one that can actually now successfully move this local forward. A vote for Rick is a vote for your future. Help restore us back to better pay and benefits, increase staffing with no trucks out of service, Fair discipline by management instead of dictatorship tyranny type practices, favor again in the political arena with City Hall where our leaders will have our backs. But most of all, do it to redeem yourself from the real doom and gloom that will come over the next 2 years if Blank remains in office. VOTE RICK PAULEY UNION PRESIDENT
I am not Chief Large or Michael Blank and I approve this message.
Received via Email 08-26-13 For you future, votes Tuesday for Kriseman or Ford. Either will do so much better than the sling-blade boss we have now! FTM, prepare to vote MTB out too, go Rock Pauley your the man.
Received via Email 08-27-13 Since Blank and Hay are useless to everyone in the rank and file I'm waiting for the DC's to start making the rounds to talk Blank up to the troops. He's great for them because they can run all over him with Neil and Richie but who have we got standing in for us? Nobody and I mean No Body.
Received via Email 08-27-13 Michael Blank is certainly doing his best to keep his job, so the rest of us need to make sure he dont. Get out there and Vote No for Foster, Large, Blank, and Hay.
Received via Email 08-27-13 Wednesday August 28th, Will this be the day that Mayor Foster will direct his Chief Negotiator to do a nice thing for all of those great firefighters for getting him through the primary election? Be in the audiance at 1:30 to see how his gratefulness shakes out. Will it be a BIG raise?, Reduced work week? Or will it be more of the same A**Humpin weve already gotten? Stay tuned.
Received via Email 08-28-13 I can't remember a more fucked up situation. For years we've been trying to get a firefighter friendly mayor into office and now that someone decent has a shot at getting in we've already pissed him off.
TEAM: While you can never be 100% sure of what the other guy is thinking, Kriseman has never spoken about us in anything but glowing terms. And seriously - if you had the opportunity to talk with him one on one and you were to bring up the fact that the vast majority of us are more than a little embarrassed that we didn't properly screen candidates for Mayor - he wouldn't lament on how wrong you were not to screen but how wrong your union leadership was, not to screen.
Received via Email 08-28-13 PSSSSSssssssssssst......has anyone mentioned to Blank and Hay that St. Petersburg had a primary election last night and Ford and Kriseman DID split the vote as they predicted but that's what always happens when 5 people are running for mayor? The only trouble is (for Foster) that Kriseman will pick up a whole bunch of Fords votes. I don't know who's votes Foster is going to get. That's the trouble with knowing nothing about voting. You get to make stupid statements to glassy eyed firefighters that don't know anymore than you.
Received via Email 08-28-13 Only 2% points between the large gut guy and Kriseman.. Come on November! We need a a new & smarter Mayor.
Received via Email 08-28-13 Here we go again........Blank, Hay, Foster, Invisible Man, Jack O Lantern Head move on over....................Pauley's coming to the rescue!!!!!!!!!!!!
Received via Email 08-28-13 I heard todays negotiations went well. Word has it that rather than send any mixed message as to who's in charge of the pay raise dept., Foster showed up in person to thank us for all the hard work lduring his campaign and to assure us that if we keep working as hard as we have been for him that we'll get our just reward in the end. Now I'm super pumped. YOU GO MIKE BLANK. YOU GO BOI.
Received via Email 08-28-13
A. Really??? We haven't done shit for him. From what I've heard we've done more for Kriseman and our two shit for brains didn't endorse him.
B. We'll get our just reward in the end is code for YOU'LL GET WHAT'S COMING TO YOU.
C. No thanks. Foster is a punk.
Received via Email 08-28-13 Funny how that asshat shows up to pat us on the back when he wants something. No thanks Bill, it's time for you to go, and take some of your minions in fire admin with you when you leave.
Received via Email 08-29-13 I am thinking 8/28#5 was being sarcastic.
Received via Email 08-29-13 Please tell me that was BS about him showing up. If JON P was there foster wouldn't step anywhere close
to him..
Go Kriseman!
TEAM: Yeah, we think he was kidding.
Received via Email 08-29-13 I've already seen some staff officers stumping for Blank. Very sad. Inform the young guys as much as you can. Don't let this election slip through our fingers. Vote Pauley!
Received via Email 08-29-13 There is a reason the staff officers want blank. With Blank they still have full control of our union, without Blank, Fairness will be the new order.
Received via Email 08-30-13 Could someone fill me in on how much money this Local raised this year for Muscular Dystrophy? You know, the Fill The Boot drive that we always perform sometime during the year to receive donations to be presented on Labor Day. The city will, as usual, try hard to discourage anything that doesn't fill the coffers at city hall but didn't we, as a Local, do anything this year for Muscular Dystrophy? There's a whole new format for this year showing the hard work and dedication of fire fighters all over the nation who work for children and adults with MD. I'm sure we did our part and we just haven't heard about it since we don't want to brag. Somebody tell me the dollar figure that we'll be presenting this year. I'll bet it's big. And yes, I am posting this under all the categories.
Dick Tully
Received via Email 08-30-13 Dick, we collected I would say close to $0. Yes $0 not a misprint. Just a fucked up executive board or at least the president.
Received via Email 08-30-13 Just doit! https://www.facebook.com/KrisemanforMayor
Received via Email 08-30-13 You should all be very proud. While many Locals across the nation are collecting for this historical cause, some in the millions of dollars, Local 747 collected $0. Was it because the city refused to allow you to collect or were you just too lazy and preoccupied with getting Big Bill reelected? This Local was, at one time, one of the biggest supporters of the Muscular Dystrophy Foundation. We collected every year in time for the telethon. I know. I know. The leadership didn't do anything to have a "Fill The Boot" day so the rest of you just shut up and hoped no one would bring it up. Don't blame it on the leadership. At least not all of it. Every one of you had the opportunity to bring up the MDA drive during the year but not one of you could find the stones. It was easier to just let it die off than take a couple week ends out of your life to support children who have this crippling disease. Just because the president and the EVP are morons doesn't mean each of you has to be one too. This is tradition. It's what firefighters do. It's what men and women do. I know a lot of you don't know what tradition is and maybe you should ask around and find out. The fire service is steeped in tradition. Except in St. Petersburg, Florida. You should all be ashamed.
Dick Tully
Received via Email 08-31-13 You guys are soooo wrong. Local 747 paid the entry $300.00 fee so our #1 drinkers could go out in the name of volleyball and do whatever it is that they say they do. Has anyone heard how they did? So anyways, I guess you can say that Local 747 stands tall and is Loud and Proud to be able to say that from its entire membership from St. Petersburg, South Pasadena, and Lealman, wrote a check.
TEAM: We're just proud to be able to say that we added to Clearwater's huge MDA total for the year. Writing a check is easier than sweating. We help where we can.
Received via Email 08-31-13 I am so glad the Union has stayed it course during last Wednesdays negotiations. We will still be able to buy slaves with the money we are willing to let the Mayor hold in his cash box for the next 2 or 3 years until we have given up enough to buy the 21 folks this Department so desperately needs. I guess the retirees from the old pension will be able to claim part ownership of the slaves too since no raise for us equals no raise for you either. But look at it this way, you can come and whip them whenever you feel like it. Wait a minute, hold the phone and stop the presses, I just realized that I will be gone from this hell hole before I ever see the reduced work week. Ok, as long as I can still whip somebody I feel better. This is so fucked up I cant believe the idiots are still pursueing it.
Received via Email 08-31-13 The captains and DC's don't even want anything because to hear them tell it they've already got everything they want. The rank and file can have a reduced workweek too but we've got to pay for it. Bill Foster has his fingerprints all over this one so don't even bother putting another roster in my fire station asking me or my crew to walk with any of you assholes on the weekends. Foster has never done anything for us but some of you dumbasses keep holding out hope that our enemy will find a way to show us some love. God are we stupid for believing in that or Blank or Hay. Clueless firefighters and clueless leaders deserve each other.
Received via Email 09-02-13 Note to Blank and Hay. Here is somemore money you can put towards buying our slaves. 8 peeps called out sick, 10 on Vac, 7 r-days, and a couple others were off today for other reasons. Approx 28 folks from the C shift lost out on their 8 hours of holiday pay and again on the A shift there will be some more losing all 12. Thats gotta add up to a few dollars. It might be enough to buy an arm or a leg.
Received via Email 09-02-13 We were all sitting at the station yesterday trying to put together a list of things that Blank has done for us and we honestly couldn't think of any. So we called another station and talked with someone there who keeps on top of things and he racked his brain and couldn't come up with anything either. Two years lost and the city is offering us a 2% pay raise and I've already read that Tarpon I think it is is getting 4% and some in the school board are getting 5%. We can't even get them to offer us a 3 year contract with 3 years of pay anymore. This isn't good because they know Blank will bring whatever they offer back to us to turn down so they can drag their feet for an even longer period of time without a pay raise. Everyone knows it's true but they are affraid to bring it up in the stations.
TEAM: New Mayor, new union president, new direction. Blank and Hay have tried Hay's grand idea of trying to talk man-to-man with Chris Guella, only to find that they're being stonewalled. They aren't negotiating with Chris Guella. They are negotiating with the Mayor, through Chris Guella. What we do at the negotiations table is pure business as Blank and Hay are just now starting to realize. It's time to drop the bullshit - quit trying to make nice across the table and quit attempting to trade-away hard earned benefits for new benefits that others got for free. Blank and Hay are weak, ill-equipped and improperly trained to do what needs to be done. They're wasting our time and money on unnecessary attorney fees and visions of grandeur that they will some day miraculously pull the sword out of the stone.
Received via Email 09-02-13 So what's the deal? Are you still backing Foster for mayor or have any of you found the stones to actually be caught supporting Kriseman? All this rah rah talk is cheap if you don't back it up and we all know how reluctant you are to stand up for yourselves. It's fine to make note that the sign up list is empty for walking with weirdo Bill to stump for votes but now you need to put up a sign up list for Kriseman. Preferably right next to Bill's. Then sign up and work for the candidate. This isn't going to be a walk in the park for anyone. And if weird Billy gets the big bucks people to pay for all the ads on TV it's going to make a hard row for Kriseman to hoe.
Now is not the time to lose sight of the goal. The goal is NOT to get weird Bill reelected but to get Kriseman elected. After the lack of support in the primary for Billy it's going to be extra hard living if he gets reelected. That alone should scare the hell out of you. You will pay for no support in the primary and no support in the runoff. So be warned ahead of time . . . if you don't get off your ass and at least show some support for Kriseman you're going to pay for it for the next four years. And it's won't be pretty, ladies.
Received via Email 09-02-13 Ask Sweet what Blanks done. He's his number 1 cheerleader. It's easy coming up with stuff when you've got a list to work from. Blank has nothing on his list of accomplishments.
Received via Email 09-02-13 You're right however, let's be fair. If memory serves, Winnie didn't get us anything either. In fact, didn't he give away a lucrative set of raises? Actually, he didn't even bring it to the membership. If that isn't true, correct me. Hopefully Pauley can do better.
Received via Email 09-03-13 My hard earned $$ are on the way to Kriseman..
Received via Email 09-03-13 Winnie knew better that to waste membership's time & waste money on doomed mail out ballots. He is still the best this local has ever had. Blank & Hay are the village idiots. They have no plan, no clue, and lack leadership skills. Blank can sure tell you how long he has left in the drop.. Good Bye blankster, welcome Pauley!
Received via Email 09-03-13 Watch your mailbox for a last ditch effort by Blank and Foster to keep their jobs with a shitty contract offer. No thanks guys...Pauley and Kriseman can take it from here!
TEAM: We wonder if Blank is going to include a list of all of his accomplishments in his letter to the membership or offer-up some more of that 'easy drinking' Kool-Aid that he's famous for? Same for Foster. What could he possibly list, showing that for even a single day in his existence that he's ever been there for us? Both of them are long on promises and short on delivery. No, sorry... we take that back. Blank and Hay have been promising the sun & the moon and & the stars while Foster has pretty much ignored us. When it walks like a goose and it quacks like a goose, it's a goose and this one's cooked!
Received via Email 09-03-13 Hey Foster you want our Vote. An R day like the DCs and captains got with no strings attached and our 2% gwi for this year without a freeze of steps. A one year contract will do for now. Do it with no strings and ya got my vote. You too Blank. Other wise get out of office we have more important people ready for your positions.
Received via Email 09-03-13 Dont be silly, why would you want to keep the Blank one for something that Foster would do?
Received via Email 09-03-13 Excellent statement 9/3 #5..
I'd rather dig up Dick baker..
Received via Email 09-03-13 Is it an act of desperation when Jim Large shows up in your fire station asking if members are ok with Pauley running for president?
Received via Email 09-03-13 Well the secret is out. MTB and his band of fools will be returning to the table again tomorrow Wednesday the 4th @1:30 to try to whoo our best friend, you know the one we are all good with< Bill Foster, for the best ever contract brought before the membership.
Received via Email 09-04-13 Fire units are sitting OOS again today and the bargaining team is still trying to get 8 more folks off a day? Lets see, bigger response area, ever increasing work loads, Constant reassignments of shift personnel to fill temporary vacancies in HQ, WAY too many folks causing staffing problems by hiding out at HQ for the past 2 or more years. Lets bring those 16 folks back out or get rid of them and rehire. That in itself would go a long way to helping our staffing shortages. I love each of ya, but I am tired of you getting a high risk pension, same salary as I, receiving Paramedic pay, or at least the $32 EMT patch pay all while on 40 hours light duty, using up all of your time and then asking people you havent worked with forever to give you their earned hours, Grow a sense of honor and do the right thing. Quit milking us and putting the burden on us and do whats right.
Received via Email 09-04-13 Thats HQs plan. Make us fight amongst ourselves when we are hurt or sick. Well that is BS. It is managements job to back fill and be prepared for those loses. It is not your or our job to keep these friggin trucks in service, Blame the ones responsible. Asshole Large and his boys. PERIOD
Received via Email 09-04-13 Are the rats starting to leave the sinking ship? One down and two to go. Pack your bags Jimmy boy and grab that mayor by the dick and lead him down the alley of shame. Then we'll be three for three.
Received via Email 09-04-13 I hear todays offer by the city was a doosie. If we are willing to go without pay raises for the next 3 years, give up vacation slots, and contribute more into our pension we can get our reduced work week. I still think its Winnies fault.
TEAM: We heard the name George Bush come up.
Received via Email 09-04-13 Large is on his way out. FINALLY canned for incompetency
Received via Email 09-04-13 Good job Blank and Hay. You guys are the secret weapon that we've been waiting for. Keep digging. You're getting there.
Received via Email 09-05-13 If that's the city's offer, they can go f¥€k themselves!
Received via Email 09-05-13 Pssst...for anyone not supporting the FF's trying to get a fair contract (Foster, Guiella, ANY of our administration), go fuck yourselves.
PKNUCK
Received via Email 09-05-13 When Kriseman gets rid of Large and Knight our department will once again be innovative and progressive just by the fact they are GONE. Start looking in the Want Ads boys, maybe the carnival coming to town will pick you up as hecklers and money grabbers. You will do real fine in that profession. The invisible man and pumpkin head will be the stars of carnivals all around the country.
Received via Email 09-05-13 The city must realize by now that they are no longer dealing with Winnie. They also know that it wont take but a couple more trips to the I told you table before Dip and Shit just cave in and takes the Mayors generous and extremely fair offer.
Received via Email 09-05-13 Funny thing Large tells all the officers today at the meeting that the Pinellas Park guys arent upset with St Pete, they are only upset with their own chief Lewis. Hey Dipshit Large, you caused the whole Pinellas Park losing the contract by lying and bidding when you said you wouldn't. Now you want to spin it like Lewis is the bad guy ?? Everyone knows better, if your own St pete guys are upset and pissed at you, I would think the PP boys are too. Quit spinning your web of deceit and lies like you always do and just shut your pie hole, We will all be better off. You did what you did for your benefit, you got your cash, you put a heavy load on your own crews without a thought of their welfare or safety. You SUCK AND ARE THE CITYS BIGGEST LIAR and ASSHOLE. And guess what !! WE ALL KNOW IT !!
Received via Email 09-05-13 Michael Blank it is now your time to go. It won't work for any of us if you're still in office when the Big Man takes over and you're still around. I just can't see him calling you up to get your opinion on minimum staffing or an extra vacation slot for the medics. You've confused city council way too much already, there's no need to spread the infection to the Big Man.
Received via Email 09-05-13 Well said about Large, it fits him to a tee.
Received via Email 09-06-13 Not sure if this is true or not but we obviously arent backing Foster no matter what our loser president and VP say. I'm hearing that the PD may have scored a 4% pay raise and they've backed him since day 1. So what are they giving up to get that? For those of you who are like Blank and Hay who keep hoping that Foster will come through at the last minute, keep hoping. He doesn't support us and he can't be forced to. Hold a Foster sign or sit on your ass and be afraid to do anythinhg. On election day I'm holding a Kriseman sign.
Editor: I was poking around through some of the older pages on the site, looking for a piece of information, when I ran across a page that I wrote but hadn't visited in a while. One can safely make the claim that the economy was different back then and so were the percentages being tossed around but what is obvious is that we were united for the long haul. What really took my breath away was the number of members who actually showed up for negotiations sessions. Forty members attended and we were only 681 days into more than 1000 days of bargaining for that contract.
"At 1330 on January 12, 2006, the combined bargaining units of the Saint Petersburg Association of Fire Fighters met with the negotiations team from the Human Relations department of the City of St. Petersburg. This meeting was the 27th attempt in this 681 day bargaining period. It was our goal to try and hammer-out a single year contract for the year in arrears (Oct. 1st. 2004 – Oct. 1st. 2005). Present on the SPAFF side of the table were some 40 Firefighters, Firefighter Paramedics, Fire Captains and Fire District Chiefs..."
If you visit here Jan12synops and read a bit further down the page you'll note that we were getting ready to declare impasse. This was during an election year and the Mayor asked us to hold on for a little bit until after the elections as his staff wanted to "rework the numbers" for us. We waited and he came back with a 'bonus' rather than a larger GWI! Sound familiar?
Received via Email 09-06-13 The only comments I've ever heard about Chief Doug Lewis in Pinellas Park were that he's a stand-up guy who is well admired by the men and those who know him. Don't believe what that rumor monger Large says without talking to the members at Pinellas Park.
Received via Email 09-06-13 Since Ole blank lied about talking/screening to Kriseman, there is no way it will be a friendly chat. Ba bye mtb
Received via Email 09-06-13 Doug Lewis is beloved all over this county. When we become a county fire department look for him or Burt Polk to be the chief.
Received via Email 09-06-13 I would hope that there will be someone, possibly a lot of someone's attending these meetings on Sept. 12th and 26th.
And I quote; "With budget hearings set for Sept. 12 and 26, the People's Budget Review is asking Mayor Bill Foster and the City Council to fund three programs."
"The last request of $250,000 is to "directly enhance the economy, environment, and equality of their neighborhoods."
The People's Budget Review is nonpartisan and isn't endorsing a mayoral candidate.
But Rick Smith, chief of staff for the Florida Public Services Union, which represents 1,200 city workers, said the group plans to bring 300 people to the budget hearings. The council will vote on next year's budget on Sept. 26.
"Ultimately, the budget process is political," Smith said. "The biggest political day is Sept. 26, not Nov. 5. We hope the council respects those voices."
It's about time the firefighter's union came out of the shadows and the cloak of invisibility to make a claim on some of that money in the budget. With the number of others making claims to any and all funds available for "directly enhancing,the economy, environment, and equality of their neighborhoods. . ." it's also time to directly enhance the economy, environment and equality of the members of the fire service too.
You are the forgotten 350 in the city. The vast majority of the other city workers seem to be able to find the time to speak up, show up and be heard. Meanwhile the fire union sits on it's hands and acts like the retarded step child of the group. You need to go to these meetings and be seen and heard. Don't send dumb and dumber because they have no credibility with anything or anybody. If you want something then you're going to have to make the powers that be know who you are and what you're about.
For the past four years you've sat on your ass and kept your mouth shut waiting for the chief and the mayor to take pity on you. You see what THAT got you. Show up with someone who is a leader and isn't under the mayor's desk on both of his days off. Have a spokesperson with some balls and demand that the members of the fire department get some recognition and some of the pie. Who knows, you may even get some press out of it if enough members show up.
Carpe Diem, Tempus Fugit
Received via Email 09-06-13 Large you only wish you were as good as Lewis. In fact if I remember correctly you tried for the position of Fire Chief at Pinellas Park only to come in last. Lewis beat you by a mile, and the only reason you ever became the chief of st pete was certainly not for your ability, intellect, or character, but in fact it was because you made yourself buddies with the current Mayor to be back then and you fooled him into thinking you were something you weren't. Here is the bottom line. CHIEF LARGE WILL NEVER BE THE FIRE CHIEF DOUG LEWIS IS AND DEEP DOWN JIMMY BOY YOU KNOW IT. So gather up your pack of lies and start spreading them somewhere else, cause none of us are buying your Crap. You are pathetic and a liar. We all know it, and certainly Chief Lewis knows it.
Received via Email 09-06-13 Isnt it a shame when the best you have to claim as your own is Chief Large?
Received via Email 09-06-13 Mr. Webmaster you've got a point. We were turning down big pay raises and still filling the room with 40 people. I guess now a days nobody show up to watch because they know that Blanks the man to bring home the bacon. Now squeal like a pig for me.
Received via Email 09-07-13 There'll be plenty of squealing to go around and it won't be from the webmaster. Two things are staring all of you right in your faces and that's the reelection of Wild Bill and the reelection of the Blank One. Either one of which should be enough to scare the shit out of you for the next four years. But apparently the members can only see good times and fat wallets in the future because they believe that Kriseman is going to pony up big bucks and days off as soon as he's elected and it won't matter who is at the bargaining table representing the fire service. But it won't take much to make that pipe dream disintegrate. And it's being molded as we speak.
And you fat cats at Headquarters that have the same representation as the rest of the shlubs had better take a look at what's in *your* future too. He's the one that goes to the table and negotiates for you too. Is that what you *really* want boys? If it is then just keep on kissing the chief's ass and ignoring the problems and who knows maybe several of you will follow him when he leaves. Remember that Jimmy the Juice is a really, really lame duck. His continuance as fire chief is probably a lot closer to ending than you or he even realize. And of course the old saying that a new broom sweeps clean is something that should be taken to heart. You're not safe any more than any of the rest of the troops. So get off your ass and do something to help stop Silly Billy. Because if you don't you'll be paying the price right along with the rest of the members who think the chief's a benevolent person who's not really a bad guy but his hands are tied by the mayor. If it was up to Jimmy the members would get everything they're asking for. It's that damn mayor who keeps you down.
The invisible 350 will no doubt do what they always do and sit on their hands and asses while the mayor gets reelected and the leadership of the Local continues to lie and dodge in order to keep the mayor happy. Because that's what you do. That's what you know how to do. It's because you want someone in the office who will get it for you rather than making you do something to help yourself even if it means he continuously fails but is *trying*. That's the Local 747 way, isn't it? Let someone else do it for you. Problem is if Wet Willy gets reelected it won't matter *who* you send to the table. And it won't matter *who* is the fire chief. You will pay and pay dearly. And the city knows it. They know you won't make a whimper. You never have and you never will. Even when the leadership trips all over his dick and face plants himself in front of Council you still want him speaking for you. Because that's the way you do things now. Patiently and quietly. Hoping that sooner or later someone will take pity on you and save your pathetic and spineless ass. That's the pacifist way, isn't it? Well wipe that "poor me" look off your mug and grow some balls. Act like the man or woman you were supposed to become when you went into the work place. Act like your family counts and your future is important to you. Be an adult. Make your voice heard and your vote count. Quit taking it up the ass and fight back. Goddamn pussies.
Carpe Diem, Tempus Fugit
Received via Email 09-10-13 It turns out that todays say no session went just as the Mayor planned. Still no movement and still no hope of receiving anything extra. I think he is trying to tell us something but Frick and Frack anit quite figured it out yet. They are still blaming their inadaquete skills on the Chief Idiot. Why would anyone on his way out give a shit about us? Wake up boys, your little birthday candle is burning to the end.
Received via Email 09-11-13 I can't wait for the new mayor and new union president. Maybe we can finally get somebody at the negotiation table that doesn't talk/act like Elmer Fudd. It's painful to watch the videos of the negotiations. Such incompetence.
Received via Email 09-11-13 "There's a lot of different avenues we could be looking at but the bottom line is this, budgets reflect what your values are, they reflect what your priorities are, and they reflect who you want to be as a community," Kriseman said. "That's the document that reflects what you really stand for. So if you don't have that defined revenue and you don't put it in your budget, then obviously it isn't a priority."
Holy shit! Winnie Newton said the same thing for years. If the mayor doesn't include your needs in his budget then he obviously doesn't value you or the things you do. Kriseman's the MAN.
Received via Email 09-12-13 VOTE KRISEMAN, Foster had his chance for 4 years and did NOTHING for us. Time for Foster to leave office.
Received via Email 09-12-13 After hearing Rick Pauley's ideas and reading John Barfield's letter... then listening to Blank try and explain why we need to have a reduced work week, I know who I will be voting for. Go Pauley and John!
Received via Email 09-13-13 "Never push a loyal person to the point where they no longer give a damn." Give NOTHING to the city. I'd rather be at a stalemate than give those sleazy bastards a penny. Any 'trades' are costing us. Fuck them. PKNUCK
Received via Email 09-13-13 You can tell ballot day is Monday. Large is out. Blank is out. Hay is out. Pauley is out. And Wimmer is out. Wimmers??? Yup. Large and Wimmer are out talking dirty about Pauley because they're scared little pussies. They're telling us that we need to give Blank 2 more years and another Blank pay check. Hay is trying to convince everyone and the new guys that it doesn't matter that you won't see a pay raise for several years under Bill Foster, you'll love the time off and less of a pension. Only in St. Petersburg could we be this inbred that retirees come in to interfere for the chief of the dept. If they haven't been to your station yet, lock the friggin door.
Received via Email 09-13-13 See more time off? More pay, another R day? Yeah maybe late 2015-2016. ASK the fools make them tell you the truth, OR just call Pauley, Mott, of Jon Pearl. FTM, and Wimmers we retired you twice go on a cycle ride with your butt boy M. Moore. He can be your bitch.
I wish Large and Wimmers would come to my house...
Last I heard politicking on duty is illegal.
Received via Email 09-13-13 Very sad to hear that Mike Wimmers is aligning himself with the failures on the department. I've always known Mike to be a stand up guy who has a good head on his shoulders and is a past President of the Local. I can't begin to understand what could have turned him against the people who have always considered him an asset to the department and thrown in with the proven losers of the department but I'm sure sorry to hear this. Now I think I know why when he comes to Georgia he doesn't associate with the people here any more. Really sorry Mike. Thought you were pro union but it appears you've lost touch with the real world. Watch your back. Your new friends are worthless and will screw you once they get what you can provide.
Here's the thing. . . It's hard to see a one-time brother fire fighter get turned around. I don't know how long it's taken to fill Mike's head with enough bullshit to turn on you all but apparently he's been convinced to throw away his old friends and throw in with some new ones. Problem here is that once you switch teams in either direction it's damn hard to win back the trust and confidence of the previous group. In Mike's case it's extremely difficult. And you're probably wondering why I'm giving so much attention to this. Fact is I feel stabbed in the back for giving my support and friendship to Mike. I'm sure some of you feel betrayed for the same reason.
I don't know what lies and bullshit these new "friends" have filled Mike's head with but to be visiting the stations with the fire chief and badmouthing Pauley is a new low for Mike. The chief . . . well, you knew *he* is an asshole but we all thought better of Mike Wimmers. Hey Mike, this isn't a payback on your part, is it?
I certainly hope none of you are fooled by this change of heart in Wimmers. And it's hard to imagine that anyone is foolish enough to believe him now that he's batting for Billy and the chief. Failure to remove Dumb and Dumber from office (even if Kriseman gets elected) will be even *more* important since you're still sending morons to the bargaining table to represent you. Even if Kriseman *wanted* to level the playing field he'd still have to overcome the incompetence and stupidity of the two dullards who show up on the union's side of the table.
If I were you I'd be less than sure of anything right now. Neither Silly Billy nor Kriseman seem to think there's any problems with the employees. Not once in any of the debates has the subject of employees come up. It's like they don't exist. I pleaded with you to show up at the debates and be seen and hopefully heard and it fell on deaf ears from the president on down. I'll say it again . . . you're the invisible 350 who think something comes from nothing. Too damn lazy to go sit in a room and show support for anyone. If you've been paying attention you know that Kriseman is NOT a shoo-in. In fact after the last debate he lost ground when it looked like "GO"-Davis was in his camp. Kriseman denied it but it was too late. You need to wake up and smell the shit. Because that's what you can expect if you don't make yourselves visible and speak up every chance you get between now and November. The leadership isn't going to do it. They're so addled they can't find th
eir ass with a road map. Pauley . . . it's up to you to lead the way. You have every right to represent the thinking of the membership. It's not taking anything away from the brain dead leadership since they have no balls. You have a right to an opinion and there's nothing to keep you from having a say at these meetings.
Tell me if I'm wrong. Show me where doing nothing is making this Local better. Tell me what makes you, as a member, not give a shit about your family or future. Still just glad to have a job and don't want to make waves? Have you been dumbed down to actually believe that? Still no R day. Still no pay raise after four years of waiting for a handout from Big Bill. Still nothing that would improve your life or your future. They say that insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result. In the case of the membership that's the truest statement ever made.
Dick Tully
Received via Email 09-13-13 3 CHEERS FOR PATTY KNUCKEY. SHE HAS BIGGER BALLS THAN MOST OF YOU GUTLESS ASS SUCKERS.
Received via Email 09-13-13 Wimmers hangs out at the MFS every other day. He's probably one of the Lost 157 and doesn't give a shit about the guys in the steps. And listen..........I don't mind retirees hanging around to do work that helps us all because they want to but when their story is the same as the fire chief's..........you got nothing to say to me that I'm ever going to want to hear. FTM
Received via Email 09-13-13 Don't worry. As soon as Pauley wins you won't be seeing Wimmers' face around any more. Hes only here to pat you on the back so you can do something for him.
Watch the video and try not to get too confused about the offer(s).
Jon Pearl
Received via Email 09-14-13 When the union said they'd give up three hours of Holiday time to gain another R day I wanted to just give up altogether on ever seeing a gain in favor of the union. The twelve hour Holiday time clause has been in the contract since day one and now you want to give up three hours per holiday per member to get an additional R day for which the Captains and DC's gave up NOTHING to get the exact same benefit. How's that for great bargaining strategy?
However, the question I have is will the Capt.'s and DC's lose three hours of their Holiday time if the contract is ratified or is the city bound by contract with them to continue to maintain the twelve hour remuneration? Is this bargaining agent for the union willing to ignore what the Capt.'s and DC's have and back bargain for the rank and file just to get some kind of agreement? My guess would be that they won't.
Chris Guiella is lounging in his chair waiting to kill and the union grovels to give away a benefit that's been in place for 50 years. I'm sorry, but I shut it off after 30 minutes. I don't know when paper shuffling became part of the negotiations process but the union is really, really good at it. Chris Guiella not only doesn't read or look at the union proposal but instead just puts it in his notebook. He works off the top of his head to rebut the union and does it with ease. I honestly believe he is bored. This isn't to praise the city negotiator but to encourage a better prepared union team that at least LOOKS like they prepared. Shuffling papers and stammering isn't a sign of power.
I'm just wondering what else the rank and file will have to give up to get less. This smoke and mirror negotiating is very, very dangerous. When it gets to this point in the process it's time to make your demands clear and stand on them. This rodeo has been going on all summer and is going nowhere. Anybody want to display and explain the gains the union has made so far? I didn't think so. So it's time to fish or cut bait. Before Dumb and Dumber give away the store completely. Take it to impasse and don't give away any more than what you already have. Dumb is going to bring it to the membership and cry "we tried really hard but this is the best we could do". What will you do when he gives away another three hours of your time to get something else? Keep what you have and stop being stupid.
Dick Tully
Received via Email 09-14-13 boy if that's the best you have you guys are SCREWED
Received via Email 09-14-13 Tell me about it. Why should I give up 30 hours of pay a year for something the capt/DCs got for nothing? For all of us in the steps, add that up for the years you will be here. Hey Mike, how about a "me too" for their contract?
TEAM: Go to 31:35 on the video. It's not 30 hours that's being offered up. It's 60. Blank upped the offer from 30 hours to giving 5 of 10 holidays back to the city.
Received via Email 09-14-13 Give up money for the same thing the supervisors got for free...awesome...where do I sign up!!!
Received via Email 09-14-13 I added some timeline notes to the video. There's an annotation at the 1 minute mark announcing the fact that they are located behind the Show More tab, just below the video frame. I went back through the video and watched it again and made notes so that you could jump ahead to any point of your choosing.
Notations begin starting at 5 minutes and 43 seconds.
Fraternally,
Jon Pearl
SPAFF September 10, 2013 Rank & File Negotiations
Timeline Notes from September 10, 2013 Negotiations Session
0030 Guella- "That was the best and final as related to the reduced workweek.
0033 Guella- "...not the best and final as related to salary!"
0543 Exchange of Duty Time
0630 Blank- Proposes change. Annual Leave selection: 3 rounds of annual leave selection, then ten slots will be allocated as follows: 5 slots for FF instead of 6; 3 slots instead of 2 for Medics and Lt.'s remain unchanged at 2 slots.
0800 Guella- asks if the union is still seeking an additional slot for the Medics in this contract?
0808 Blank- "It's not going anywhere this contract."
0920 Blank- opens his remarks by admitting that the unfunded liability is everyone's obligation, including the new hires.
0945 Blank- FY14 proposes 2% GWI offer to top paid employees, only. Steps continue.
1029 Blank- FY15 proposes 3% GWI assumption then returns the 3% to the City, who applies it to reduction in workweek (starting Oct. 1, 2015). Steps continue.
1034 Blank- FY16 proposes 3% GWI assumption then returns 1% to the City, who applies it to reduction in workweek. Top paid employees net 2% GWI from the 3% total. Steps continue.
1300 Guella- "If you look back at our proposal, even with 18, the City's still coming up too much in the red."
1338 Guella- "I don't need to caucus. I don't accept this."
1518 Guella- "The City needs more from you guys to buy this."
1720 Blank- Returning from caucus, Blank opens with "Regarding the workweek and overtime; the additional or the 14 to 7 day workweek..." Guella shakes his head in disbelief and helps him to clarify what it is that he wants to say.
1755 Blank- Proposes that we reduce our 12 hour accrual per holiday to 9 hours.
1956 Blank- Makes comments to Guella about retaining the right to bargain the lost hours back again at some future date.
2115 Trouble and more trouble.
2330 Guella- "Annual leave accruals mean nothing to the City."
2620 Guella- "If that's your offer, it's not going to fly."
2948 Guella- attempts to recap the City's best and final offer one more time and Blank interrupts.
3000 Billy Mott- "The bottom line is, the reduced workweek still does not take effect till 2016."
3008 Guella- "January 1, 2016."
3135 Blank- "We're looking at taking Holiday to -- instead of 10 annually, 5 annually..."
3148 Blank- "With a 200 hour cap."
3244 Guella- "The first three bullet points..."
3300 Christen- "Are you agreeing to the first three bullet points?" (Remember when Blank interrupted Guella, who was trying to recap the bullet points in the City's proposal? That proposal says nothing about 3% at any time.
3310 Our side is dumbfounded. Our side is making reference to our proposal and the City keeps making reference to the three bullet points in their proposal. Seems we're not listening.
3332 Guella- agrees to allow Blank to recap our proposal.
3555 Guella- addressing Blank's proposed 3rd years 3% GWI -- "I can stop you right there. I cannot accept that." "These three points are carved in stone." "We need these three and unlimited choices..."
3830 Blank- "Is 2015 an assumption on 3%?"
3834 Guella- "No."
4100 Guella' holds supervisory unit's contract over our heads.
4205 Hay- "I know the City doesn't place a value on it (soft money) but we do."
4230 Guella- "You realize you're dividing and conquering your own unit, again?"
4236 Blank- "Well, we've discussed it -- to a point."
TEAM: We've added a MS Word .doc file for you to print and share. Stupid is forever. Ignorant you can fix. Help fix a friend.
Received via Email 09-15-13 3000 Billy Mott- "The bottom line is, the reduced workweek still does not take effect till 2016."
3008 Guella- "January 1, 2016."
That's not what Blank is running around telling people. He's got this so screwed up that only Pauley and Kriseman will be able to make this work.
Go Rick and Rick!
Received via Email 09-15-13 Thank you to brother Pearl for making a list of quotes. I'm a C shifter and if you decide to run for C-VP again, you've got my vote. I watched it once and was so confused that I didn't want to watch it again. I watched from the quotes and you were dead on the money. This thing is miles from being a decent contract and they still want more. Winnie use to get retro and a me too clause. Blank is trying to save his skin before the ballots come back. Haaaaaaaa, tuff luck fella.
Received via Email 09-15-13 Lose 5 holidays. I wonder what a 60 hour loss in pay a year over a career amounts to?
Received via Email 09-15-13 Would someone explain to me what the "unfunded liability" is that Blank said is "everyone's obligation including the new hires".
TEAM: Describing any liability or other expense that does not have savings or investments set aside to pay it. That is, the party responsible for paying an unfunded liability pays for it out of current income or by borrowing. The risk of an unfunded liability is that a payee may not receive that which he/she is entitled to if the payer goes through a difficult financial period. It also increases the payer's current liabilities. Note: we were paraphrasing Blank's words, but you get the idea. The unfunded liability being referenced is the old pension plan ('prior plan') that the city failed to fully fund more than forty years ago. The plan was abolished in the early '70's. All of us currently on the job are in the 'supplemental plan'. The reason that you hear the term so often is due to the fact that the city unfairly continues to yoke 'us' with the costs associated with catching-up. When you hear the 'cost' associated with the hiring of a new fire fighter being $77K, a portion of that dollar amount is associated with the underfunding of the prior plan. When the city of St. Petersburg bargains with the County for anything associated with EMS, you'll hear County Administrator and Commissioners balk at the cost associated with funding a St. Pete Medic, vs. any other medic in the system. Again... unfunded liability. Rather than nutting-up and paying their own debts, the City makes us pay and the County pay for bad past practice. As you may well have heard Steve Hay say, former Mayor Baker didn't believe that we should be saddled with this debt when we negotiate for additional benefits. Apparently the mayor that he's supporting believes otherwise. Watch the video but don't let your lying eyes deceive you.
Received via Email 09-15-13 Blank and Hay sure have their tongue way up this mayor's ass and I don't see that he's making any effort at movement at all. When Guella says CARVED IN STONE, he might as well be saying FOSTER DON'T CARE, THIS IS WHAT YOU'RE GETTING. This is what you get when they don't fear you.
That clears that up for me. The only reason I asked is because the unfunded liability that you laid out is exactly the one I thought it may be. And then when I thought about it some more I discarded my original thinking on the basis that surely that liability was taken care of long ago. My memory isn’t super great but that unfunded liability was around when I entered the job in 1963. So what you’re telling me is that for fifty years the city has failed to fund this and still continues to require the current members and any new hires to help them pay for what they caused over 50 years ago. Naturally my next question would be . . . how much has the city contributed to the fund over the last forty years since the pension was terminated?
Again, I know how much you members hate to be schooled and would like to believe that you know everything about everything but let me give you some history. First of all you aren’t the first group to be screwed over by the city. And you won’t be the last. Many years ago, when the war was over, there were a lot of men who needed work and the fire service provided that for many. At the time there were things greatly different about the job than what you encounter now. Firefighting was a much more dangerous job then in the fact that the firefighters were ill equipped and far from protected when fighting fire. But they did the job the best they could. Someone determined that these men should have some sort of reward, for lack of a better word, for risking their lives in service to the rest of the population. Enter the Heart, Lung Bill. The one they want to dissolve in Tallahassee today. It was implemented to help those who came down with lung problems and/or heart problems for any reason. It was assumed as fact that those two things were directly the result of working as a firefighter. It stated that any and all forms of lung disease and/or heart disease in firefighters was due to line of duty work and were covered by healthcare automatically and forever. Period.
A bit later, (I don’t know the date) came another benefit for firefighters known as a pension. This was given as a reward for serving the required number of years as an employee in the fire service. Someone asked the question, “how are we going to pay for this “pension” that we’re giving these people?” The answer was simple. The firefighters would contribute 4% of their pay to help defray the cost of the pension to the employer. The employer would contribute the rest. There were other conditions and provisions in that pension that I know you don’t want to hear about. That pension was sent to Tallahassee and became a law. Everybody was happy.
Then when collective bargaining came into play the union discovered that even though every firefighter hired since the pension became effective had been paying 4% of his salary into the pension fund somebody didn’t. Guess who didn’t put their portion in. That’s right. The employer. For most of the time the pension had been in effect the city didn’t put their required contribution into the fund. So when the union did some digging it was discovered that there was a gigantic unfunded liability (where have I heard that word before) staring them in the face. Because of the unfunded liability the pension fund known today as the “prior” pension, was clearly not actuarially sound. In other words there wasn’t enough money in the fund to pay the number of men on, or potentially on in the future, their money. You have to understand that this was in no way the fault of the firefighters. They paid their contributions. The city was the one that failed to provide the funds to make the pension sound.
I believe the union sued the city for he funds to be deposited into the pension fund to make it actuarially sound. The city claimed they didn’t have the funds to do that. They didn’t deny that they had screwed over all the fire employees for many years. They just said “yeah, we didn’t put any money in because we didn’t feel like it.” The court decided against the city and laid out at that time what was called a “stair-step” method of paying the money back into the pension fund. It was set up so that as the years went by the city paid an ever increasing amount into the fund until it was actuarially sound. Apparently in 1972 they thought they’d found a way around doing that. It was in 1972 that two things happened. The city became self-insured (I think) and they implemented a new pension plan for firefighters. This would be called the “supplemental” plan. All on duty fire fighters were encouraged to switch over to the supplemental plan at that time. Doing so on the part of the firefighters would have greatly reduced the number of members on the prior plan. In fact the city hoped ALL the current members would switch and leave only those who were already on pension to be considered in making the prior pension sound. What a great plan. Kill two birds with one stone. Unfortunately the firefighters, I think almost to the man, told them to shove the supplemental pension. I’m sure you know why. The city couldn’t make us join so in order to implement the supplemental plan they forced all new hires to fall under the supplemental pension. Enter the new hires and the supplemental pension is under way. The union could not stop the implementation of the supplemental pension because it was not able to bargain for that pension. No member of the Local at that time was covered by the supplemental pension so the union had no say legally in the conditions nor the implementation of the supplemental pension. You can howl about it all you want but it won’t change the facts.
Apparently they, the city, are still not caught up with their responsibility of contributing their share of the prior pension funds. I can’t believe it. If you still had anyone who could do something about it, it would be interesting to see where the money is coming from to fund the prior pension today for 200 or so members of the fire service who are collecting the pension. It has to be coming from somewhere. And since the city is still claiming they are using funds from “everybody, including new hires” there’s probably some fancy book cooking going on in city hall. The prior pension hasn’t had an employee contribution since the last man on it retired. I paid 4% the entire 20 years I was on the job. But after the last man retired under the prior no employee contributions have been going in. The city may have made changes in the employee contribution method after the 80’s sometime but I have no way of knowing.
It boggles the mind to think that the city is still making fire employees help pay an unfunded liability that if the city had done what it was told to do by the courts would have brought the prior pension up to being sound. Obviously some folks who took over the reins of the Local dropped the ball and didn’t check on whether or not the city made their contribution. If the unfunded liability is being used as a bargaining club then the Local should ask why the city hasn’t been making the contributions as directed by the courts. And if the city is taking money from the current members as a contribution to the supplemental pension AND the prior pension the union needs to know about it and bring it to light. Another question would be who is controlling the whole thing? You may feel there’s no reason to get excited about this because the city would never screw you but they don’t have to. You screwed yourselves when you tossed the one person who would have investigated this.
I don’t care what the shit stirrers in the stations say. This is the most accurate narrative I can write showing how things were and how things happened. Naturally I don’t know all the exact dates and names but I’m pretty damn close on the way it happened. What you do with it from here is up to the members. But I’d sure try to find out why the unfunded liability is still there after forty years since the judge made the mandate for the city to make the prior pension actuarially sound. It’s up to you.
You must remember that the members who are covered today by the prior pension are getting their funds. It has to be coming from somewhere. Enter the “pension fund”. I suppose that the city has taken all the funds between the two pensions and made one big pot of pension money. But here’s the thing . . . you have to think there’s some funny business going on when the unfunded liability is still there and being used to counter the union’s demands. It has to exist. Or does it? It’s totally unfair to make the current members of the union pay to fund a pension plan that they can’t receive. That’s a lawsuit in itself. The city had the opportunity to do what was right. And they didn’t do it. Now they want to tell you that they can’t fund pay raises and/or other benefits because they have to fund an unfunded liability. Again, if your contribution, whatever it is now, is going to pay for an unfunded liability wouldn’t you like to know about it? Better yet would you be willing to have your contribution reduced just by the fact that the city paid up their end. Think about it.
Dick Tully
TEAM: Dick, it's looking like the unfunded liability is projected to be fully funded in 2018 - if not a bit sooner, if we recall correctly.
Received via Email 09-15-13 So what are the 3 bullet points that are so important?
TEAM: The City's entire Sept. 4th Reduced Work Week Proposal:
Reduced Work Week Proposal
•FY 14 - Employees at their maximum steps will receive a 2% GWI. Those who are eligible for step increases shall progress to the next step on their perspective anniversary dates during FY 14.
•FY 15 - Employees who are eligible for step increases shall progress to the next step on their respective anniversary dates during FY15. Those who are at their max steps shall not receive a GWI in FY 15.
•FY 16 - Employees who are eligible for step increases shall progress to the next step on their respective anniversary dates during FY16. Those who are at their max steps shall not receive a GWI in FY 16.
Additional FY 16 Contribution. Effective January 1, 2016, unit members shall either:
(A) Contribute an additional .5% or their base hourly rate towards their pensions, or
(B) Reduce the number of leave slots by one per shift.
Option A Clarification. If employees choose option A, the City will zipper the pension Article and will not seek to otherwise reopen it during the full term of the agreement.
If employees agree to the above, including either option A or B, the City will implement reduced work week effective January 1, 2016 at a cost of more than 1.6 million dollars. Employees shall be provided scheduled time off in the form of R-Days every 7th shift. The effect will be to reduce the average work week from 52 to 48 hours.
The City (Mayor) is hot and heavy on the three bullet points because it's nearly all give (on our part) and all take on the City's. 3% doesn't exist anywhere in their proposal. The "zipper" being talked about in the 5th paragraph refers to a 'zipper clause'. What it means is that for the term of the agreement, the city will not seek to reopen the pension Article in our contract. To our way of thinking, this is a scare tactic. The League of Cities has backed away from stripping pension benefits from FRS and Local Law members because it has been determined that there is no justification for it. Likewise, your illustrious president and vice president recently informed the membership that amongst our Council members, our pension is not even being talked about.
Received via Email 09-15-13 If we could get as much effort out of Blank and Hay this union wouldn't be in so much trouble. I don't think I've ever seen Blank put 2 words together on a piece of paper and when Hay writes you know Billy didn't proof it for him. We are in real trouble when one guy who doesn't get a union pay check tracks down every fucking word on a video and another guy who's been retire for 40 years is explaining more to me on this site about my pension than anyone else ever told me before. Vote Pauley and Kriseman.
Received via Email 09-15-13 A fiction writer couldn't write this script.
3135 Blank- "We're looking at taking Holiday to -- instead of 10 annually, 5 annually..."
3148 Blank- "With a 200 hour cap."
Blank did it ever occur to you after you offered to give away half of our holiday time that the 200 hour cap that your buddy wants now make absolutely no sense what so ever? I was going to ask if you ever think for yourself but I doubt the outcome would be much different. Either way you are dangerous to us. Retard.
Received via Email 09-15-13 Mr. webmaster, not only don't they talk about 3% anywhere they also don't talk about Oct. 1 2015. As many times as he was told, Blank wasn't listening to what was coming down. and as much as I think Guella is a dick I understand what he was trying to get across to Hay that he doesn't get. There's still an ass in the seat that they're paying for. Give us a new mayor and we won't be talking hard vs. soft money.
Received via Email 09-15-13 If we went to 5 holidays with a 200 hour max it would take you almost 3 and a half years to reach max. Awesome.
Received via Email 09-15-13 I stopped reading right about here: 1518 Guella- "The City needs more from you guys to buy this."
Received via Email 09-15-13 Chris Guiella. When Foster loses the election and Kriseman becames our man, Kriseman will run you out on a rail. Better start chasing ambulances and getting your attorney skills back up and running. You already got the lying and cheating part down, you will make a good attorney once again.
Received via Email 09-15-13 Not that I don't want Kriseman to win but you all sure do have him cleaning house. What will be the excuse if there is no house cleaning? Start thinking of some excuses now, you still have a couple of months.
Received via Email 09-16-13 After hearing Rick Pauley's ideas, and reading John Barfields letter, then listening to blank try and explain why we need to have a reduced work week, I know who I will be voting for. Go Pauley, and John!
Received via Email 09-16-13 This site is stupid
TEAM: Give it time. It'll grow on you, chief.
Received via Email 09-16-13 Can we put this contract offer into perspective for a minute?
Rank and file
We're looking at a 2% pay raise for the top paid guys for the first year. The guys in the steps get shit
Second year none of us get shit.
Third year none of us get shit.
In 2016 we either give up .5% going forward for the rest of our work lives and into retirement (add that number up) or we lose another slot or we lose a bunch of holidays. Net gain over 3 year contract:1.5%.
Net gain going forward: just lopp .5% off of any offer the city ever makes to you again. 2016 reduced WW.
Supervisors
Looking at 2% pay raise for one year and Guella admits that there will probably be 2% offered in years 2 and 3 but likely not more.
No loss of holidays
No loss of slots
No additional .5% pension contribution.
Net gain over 3 year contract: 6%.
Reduced WW already in place. It was previously paid for with the loss of a single year's pay raise.
Why all the rush to get a contract in the can? Because Blank is desperate to bring back something that the members might see as a win. He badly needs something to help him win at the polls otherwise he's got nothing to show for 2 years.
Received via Email 09-17-13 I think I got distracted by the shining thing. You're right. The supervisory unit will conitinue to gain free bennies while we end up going backwards 40 years giving benefits back. And you're right about Blank being desperate. We've got no juice with Foster or we wouldn't be giving away benefits left and right.
Received via Email 09-17-13 The 747 redemption Ballots went out Monday September 16. Make a difference, VOTE! Lets don't look stupid and only have maybe half of our membership vote! Who ever you decide to vote for just VOTE. Don not be indifferent, not vote, and then complain about the outcome!
Received via Email 09-17-13 "Redemption Ballots". I love it. Blank is going to win. Foster is going to win. The Captains and DC's are going to get even richer. We're going to vote on the worst contract we've ever been offered and we're going to lay back down on the sofa and shut up..
Received via Email 09-17-13 I just watched the video again and Blank is so timid it's as if he's asking daddy for an increase in his allowance. Chris Guella thinks Blank is a joke and he's right. Chief Large managed to turn a lot of the membership agains Winnie by telling stories that once Winnie's gone Blank can move in and do what needs to be done. You people are fools. You bought the biggest line of bullshit and now he's back out there doing the same to Pauley. I was there for Winnie Newton's retirement party . Chris Guella showed up to wish him well. Someone asked if it was the first time he'd been to a FF retirement. He said YES. He respected Winnie because he new Winnie was working for the members and not for himself of the chief or the mayor.
Blank, I don't think he's gonna show up to your retirement party. You are killing this organization with your weakness and stupidity.
Received via Email 09-17-13 For any one even mildly listening to the chief, you are a fool. Vote Pauley unless you want to see your futures go further down the drain. We shouldn't be giving the city a penny. Watching the negotiations is nauseating when with every resounding NO our people are just offering more to be given away. The really sad part is that they are not smart enough to see that they have given the city the upper hand, when all the while all they had to do is stand their ground. Go to impasse. Quit while you are ahead.
Received via Email 09-17-13 How can u understand ANYTHING thats going on from our side when all there is is stammering and um's??? OMG! What a joke! This is amusement for the city. And the fact that Bill isn't being handed ANYTHING is a slap in the face considering he is the most knowledgeable. If Blank and Hay stay we are royally fucked.
Kriseman Has Large Lead Over Foster in Latest Poll
The latest survey from StPetePoll has Rick Kriseman with nearly a 10-point lead over Mayor Bill Foster.
Incumbent Mayor Bill Foster trails challenger Rick Kriseman by nearly 10 points among registered voters, according to the latest survey from StPetePolls.
Foster fared better in a survey of people who voted in the August primary, but still trails Kriseman by six points in that survey, results show.
According to StPetePolls results Kriseman stands at 51.1 percent and Foster at 40.4 percent among the 1,127 registered voters polled. 9.5 percent said they are unsure.
Survey results were scientifically weight with a margin of error at 2.9 percent and 95 percent confidence level, a news release said.
Voters will again head to the polls Nov. 5.
Leading up to the Aug. 27 primary, StPetePolls was spot on by saying Foster and Kriseman would top Kathleen Ford in the race for mayor.
Received via Email 09-18-13 Kriseman will be our new Mayor, Happily. Better pack you bags jimmy, like they say when your caught stealing base, YOUR OUTTA THERE
Received via Email 09-19-13 WoW that shows me Kriseman will win this election. Bye Bye Silly Billy
Received via Email 09-19-13 9/17, #6. You think the last nego's were, ummm, ummm, bad,You should have been there today..OMG Cluster Fuck, if there was ever anything to fit that phrase! Blank & Hay, did one thing noteworthy. New record on taking breaks and trying to get their shit together in the hall way.Ugggg.
FYI, how many of you got your ballot yesterday? Well I did, and I voted! Go Pauley!!
Received via Email 09-19-13 I actually attended tonights Union Meeting and was quite surprised to see Mike Moore standing around drinking his fill of beer. I was told that any time MTB feels like he could face a hard bunch at a meeting he puts up the mans on his knees in front of another man symbol in the sky and his butt buddies cum a runnin to help him if needed. Well anyway, before I start I just want to make it clear that I'm all for those in the steps plan receiving everything they have EARNED. Thats were it stops. Being 1 of us that has been at the max step for awhile now I have had no increase in my pay since 2011. Now I will get my 1st 2% ($1,100.00) pay raise. I am so happy. Then it will be back to 2 more years of 0% and 0% and then in my last year on the job I will enjoy a 48 hour work week for less than 3 months. Again I am so happy. Now, here is where I get unhappy. Lets look at 1 of the 10 newbies we just hired and wont be out in the companies until mid November and lets see what their continued step plan raises will get them, Dont forget, I am a State Recognized Journeyman Firefighter. Entry level to step 1= $1,723.00 Ok thats just $500.00 more than me, Year 2 of 3 year contract Step 1 to Step 2= another $1,723.00 for them and ZERO for me. Year 3 of this stinkin 3 year contract, Step 2 to step 3 = another $1,714.00 and ZERO for me. So lets see 1,723 +1,723 + 1,714= $5,160.00 for the new kids and $1,100.00 for me. Thats a wobbly $4060.00 less me someone that has many times the experiance, knowledge, and time on the job then someone we just hired.Dont even look at what someone going from steps 5,6,and 7 or worse yet 7,8,and max will get over the next 3 years. Ok I will tell you, someone currently in step 5 going to 6 will get $2,256, then $2,091, and then $2,055. That equals $6,401 to your $1,100 for a difference of $5,302. AND someone in step7 going to max will laugh all the way to the bank with their $8,417.00 compared to my $1,100 or $7,371.00 difference. And then WE ALL get to receive our reduced work week at the same time in January 2016. That 26 months away folks, 104 weeks, or 56 paydays. Like I said before, I only have about 62 more paydays to go so I see nothing here for me to sell my soul for. I'm already in the drop so this raise wont even change my pension. I know life aint fair but I would like to see a little more averaging out of this money difference. One other thing, If I am giving up my money so the new kids can get somewhere, I hope to Jesus that one never shows up in my station working their Rday benefit that I got ass fucked for. I hope you folks can sleep at night pretending that this is an honest to goodness equitible deal for the entire unit that we call our Brothers and Sisters.
Received via Email 09-19-13 Why am I getting shafted by my Local? I'm told that the Mayor has promised everyone in the city a 2% wage increase. Why am I being told that the new contract will not have a raise for me? I can use every penny I can get my hands on right now. I am trying to start my family and get a place for my family to grow and live. Why am I being singled out? Can somebody get me an answer why the Mayor has choosen to screw me over?
Received via Email 09-20-13 Glad the retards are posting here tonight, lets all negotiate for the fucksticks with 62 more paydays left, fuck off, I have 18 on the job and acompliched more than your dead ass ever did (Buy your Math). Im not new, like you say rest of us must be, but would gladly appericate a second R-Day like my greater pears negotiated for, I believe in our bargining units should have some similarities and equality, but im sure you always stood for the retirees when you had 17-18 years and gave them the farm so they could live the good life and not you! You Hypocrite. Obvious you forgot where you came from, I was on the job when there was some good contracts that came through for us all, never heard from anyone 15 years ago care about the guys that were about to retire, why should we care about you! Let me know who you are, I will work my R-Day every 3 weeks just to work with you tough guy!
Re: 9-19-13 #6
Received via Email 09-20-13 The Mayor has been watching you and has determined that you are one of several who are not deserving of a pay raise of any kind. He has instructed the Local to negotiate for all the other members. . . but not you. He doesn't like you. He says you probably wouldn't appreciate a pay raise if you got one and he doesn't want to contribute to your future or your family's future. You are a scab on his balls and singling you out makes you an example to other members of the Local who may be thinking the same way you do. This Mayor has been the most loving and giving Mayor in the existence of the city and rumor has it that the rest of us are going to get much more than 2% when the time comes. The new contract will not have a raise for you specifically. There's a new Article that states; "In today's economy it's difficult, if not impossible, to give everyone in this agreement an increase in pay. Therefore ( Your Name Here ) will not be given a pay increase this year nor will he be given one in any of the two following years. The Mayor and the Union agree that he's not qualified for pay increases at this time." It's probably the opinion of the Union (you know, the one that hates you) that they do not bargain for you and are purposely holding you back from increasing your stipend upon your retirement. Sorry, no soup for you.
Dick Tully
Received via Email 09-20-13 Re: 9-20-13 #1
I'm not sure just exactly what you're trying to get across with your post. Let me just say that I think your description of "fuckstick" for a brother firefighter is a bit over the top. I'm not sure if you mean you have 18 years on the job or have 18 paychecks to go to retire. I can tell you're definitely not a Lieutenant since you can't spell most of the words in your post. Of course I'm most interested in the contracts to which you refer to as "good". Would you care to name the years these contracts were implemented?
And are you actually so ignorant that you think the union negotiates to get contracts that will profit only retirees? Wake up genius. In order for the retirees to receive more it means that the on-duty members have to receive more too. But you don't want to negotiate for that, do you. And as far as forgetting where he "came" from . . . it's pretty clear he isn't from anywhere just yet. He's still on the job, genius. He hasn't "come" from anywhere yet.
You can't be serious when it comes to making these asinine statements about yourself and a brother firefighter. I would easily make the assumption this is Dumb or Dumber making these accusations but even "you* appear smarter than either of them. "Why should we care about you!", you say. You just don't get it do you? The reason you should care about him is because it means you care about *you*. Are you so full of venom that you have to denigrate the job and it's members to make yourself feel better about yourself? You know why the member who posted the comments you ridicule won't tell you who he is? Because he doesn't want to work with you on your R day or any other time.
Get a crying towel and go sit with Mike Moore and tell each other how terrible this job has treated the two of you. And remember that the rest of us would like to remind you that "sympathy" can be found in the dictionary between "shit" and "syphilis". No one has time for you or your crap. The majority of the membership is working hard to make sure you get a contract that doesn't give away benefits. You, on the other hand, are whining about something that is so blatantly ignorant that it wastes the time of anyone who reads the post.
It's time for the haters and complainers to shut up, step up and do something positive for the Local. Where else can new hires come on for $17,000.00+ and barely know how to spell? Where else can new hires work one day and be off two days to earn a second income? Where else can new hires have a say in their future and be a part of the process? Where else can a new hire expect automatic pay raises for eight years to end up making $50,000.00+ at the end of that time. And before you make any statements that you can't back up you should maybe think about it. For being a high school graduate, and as uneducated as you are, even *you* have to be thankful for small favors. So shut up and let the grown-ups run the asylum.
Dick Tully
Received via Email 09-21-13 I still can't get over the fact that in some peoples mind the offer Blank is bringing back for us to vote on is supposedly the deal of a lifetime that will never come again. All I can say is that if we agree to this contract and a week later show up to the table with another $1.6M in benefits to trade away, the city will offer us another deal of a lifetime. The store is always open if you've got money to buy. Nuff said.
Received via Email 09-21-13 Vote it down and wait for the new mayor to work with us instead of against us.
Received via Email 09-21-13 Any offer that does not have a pay increase for each year is a slap in the face. The city has the money, they just don't want to spend it on us. Period.
Received via Email 09-21-13 "Let me know who you are, I will work my R-Day every 3 weeks just to work with you tough guy!" I am so glad to find out just what I was afraid of. There are folks out there willing to give up wage increases for more time off, just so they can turn around and work them. Wait a minute, I thought you pussies are so overworked and this will enable you to make it through your 30 year careers. The truth is your working your r days now and nothing will change when you get more. There was actually a time back when more knowledgeable Presidents were actually leading this Local that they pleaded with greedy bastards like your self not to work your rdays because it makes it hard to justify your case for the time off in the first place. Of course folks with you mind set cant quite grasp that common sense approach, can ya.
Received via Email 09-21-13 I was looking this joke over and I see that even though we are giving up on the front end we dont get a benefit until it is entirely paid for. I remember when I was a child and my parents couldnt afford stuff they would go into the back room of the store and put stuff on lay a away. Then and only when it was totally paid for did they get to bring it home and enjoy it. I looks like the mighty have failed us again.
Received via Email 09-21-13 I am so glad to hear that we have so many members that are financialy sound that they can afford to give up pay raises. Oh, wait a minute THEY are still in the step plan so really they dont have any idea what they are talking about. They are no where near what they were making 3 years ago when the Union negotiated that last GWI, and they will still be in the step plan or very close to the end of it when this 3 year disaster runs its course. I hope thos that will reach their max step enjoy the $7,000.00 increase and remember that it was paid for out of the pockets of us slumps at top pay that HAVE NOT enjoyed an increase in their pay and will see a 1 time 2% over the next 3 years. Oh boy you just cant wait to be like us, can you?
Ooooooh.......tough break, Bill. Only half of what Rick Kriseman brought in. The people know it and we know it. You suck!
Received via Email 09-21-13 The ones pushing for this contract either have spouses that make more than them or have businesses on the side where they can use the time off to make more money. This is my only source of income and the cost of living is going up, unlike my salary.
Received via Email 09-21-13 The wonderful thing about this union is that if you have a brain you can make this place work. Vote for Pauley and get this weak stock out of the union hall. Vote for Rick Kriseman because he's our friend and because our weak stock cheated him by not screening him. Vote for a better offer when Kriseman is finally in office, not this one that Blank is making us pay for. We need to act like we're in charge again.
TEAM: Careful. An offer like this doesn't come every day.
Received via Email 09-21-13 Speaking of offers.........is there a written copy that can be put on the union website ir here? There sure does seem to be a shortage of good information on this thing.
Received via Email 09-21-13 Like Nancy Pelooza says, PASS THE BILL THEN YOU CAN READ ABOUT IT.
Received via Email 09-21-13 The 10th post on 9-21 has realized that there is a shortage of good infomation available ref this new contract proposal. What more do you expeect from the Blank one and Hay seed? Its never been any better with any other subject either. I along with a few others have contacted S/T Mott and he has told me that he has requested an electronic copy of both proposals from the HR guy Chris Gooella but that they havent been sent as yet. Maybe a few more days if Blank allows Mott to have it then we will see one.
Received via Email 09-22-13 I have a question. Since we will now be the owners of personnel bought and paid for with our own money, does that burden continue to be our resposibility every year from here on including their pay raises too? Does anyone really know what we are buying?
TEAM: Bingo! We have a winner. We've been saying this all along. The GWI amounts from years 2 & 3 that we're giving back to the city doesn't begin to pay for the benefit but hurts like hell to give it away. What's the dollar value of the loss of $2300+- (2% GWI + 2% GWI) per year, compounded over 20-35 years? We're pretty sure that council knew that the time was right to reduce the work week. Our lives on this job revolve around 3 year installments known at contract periods. Many of us will get fewer than ten or eleven attempts during our career to improve our pension. The city just beat us out of at least 4% over a 3 year contract period. That's serious money in the bank... Theirs, not ours. With that said, the Supervisory Unit paid for their reduced work week with the loss of a single year pay raise and received the benefit in short order. Richie Johnson has already said that they've got just about everything they could want so now their just shooting for pay. We're sure all those fine fellows will be out on the weekeneds stumping for Foster. Right?
Received via Email 09-22-13 If the supervisors approve their 1 year deal, does that mean they will be back to the table next year bargaining for yet another 1 year deal and another pay raise? You also forgot to mention that the supervisors also accepted the drug testing in exchange for goodies and now the city is removing that costly hardship. So I guess they are really getting a good deal. Maybe we should have asked Big Bad double dick Richard (dick) Johnson (dick) to negotiate for our team too. He has proven that Blankless is not what we need at the controls of our futures
Received via Email 09-22-13 What do you mean, the S/T doesnt have a copy of the proposed contract? Blank and Hay just spent the last 2 weeks visiting the stations telling us that its all Mottly's fault for not getting information out to the stations, and not working together as part of the losing team. I thought the S/T was a part of the team?
Received via Email 09-22-13 I'm really tired of these 13B idiots calling the reduced work week a pay raise. Hey genius, aside from the first year 2% GWI, will your base salary increase? The answer is no. Just because you make more per hour does not mean you got a raise, unless you are working the same amount of hours as before. But you won't be, hence the 'reduced work week'. That's all fine and dandy if you have a wealthy wife or tanning business on the side but the rest of us would rather have the cash.
Received via Email 09-22-13 If you retire or leave when reduced work week takes effect you will be payed more for vac, s/l if any and holiday. It is a pay raise genius
Received via Email 09-23-13 Do the idiots at 13B remember to tell you that no matter what they want to call it, it still doesnt happen until JANUARY 2016. What happens if your no longer here by then?
Received via Email 09-23-13 What a great plan, give up pensionable pay increases that will compound over the life of my career so that I can cash out what little time I will have left at the end at a higher rate. Now that's genius.
Received via Email 09-23-13 There has been no mention of an increase for two and three. The city is only using an assumption that's what we are getting. Has there been an offer of 2 2 2?
TEAM: No. There has been no offer of a three year deal with 2, 2 & 2. You are correct that part of the pre-purchase of future benefits is the asumption that the rank & file would be getting 2% for years two and three of the contract and giving those GWI's back to the City.
Received via Email 09-23-13 Prediction: Foster will win the election. The membership will ratify the contract offer. The membership will reelect the current leadership when the time comes. That's just how ignorant you are. You read it here first. The date is September 23, 2013. Put a big red X on your shift calendar.
Dick Tully
Received via Email 09-23-13 If you do not work overtime a reduced work week is NOT a pay increase. I challenge anyone to show how my base salary will increase in years 2 or 3 of this talked about contract.
Received via Email 09-23-13 Tampa Fire Rescue's contract is about to expire. Their current contract pay and benefits package far exceeds ours. They are currently in negotiations for a new contract. Even if they lose pay and benefits, the 3rd largest city in the state will still be far ahead of us, the 4th largest city in the state. Don't be a 'low information voter'. Know what the comparables are. When you listen to people who are trying to drive home the first contract offer they've seen in a long time, why not ask yourself "If it's so great, will it still be there if it fails ratification this time around?"
Firefighter (F1) $37,140 - $68,365
Driver-Engineer (F3) $52,840 - $74,380
Paramedic (F4) $46,126 - $75,603
All the above and they they're allowed off the plantation every 3 weeks. They already have a 48 hour work week.
Received via Email 09-23-13 Wow. I didn't realize they made so much by comparison but then again I;m not running a union to impress a fire chief or a mayor who pisses on my leg and tells me it's rain.
Received via Email 09-23-13 So technically we are giving up a hear say. Nothing guaranteed for year 2 and 3 as of these negotiations. Only assumptions. So what has anyone lost?
Received via Email 09-23-13 You can try to smoke & mirrors or brow beat people all you want on Facebook but the majority of us know that this is not a pay increase. Maybe you should quit and do something else because your spouses obviously make too much to justify you staying here.
Received via Email 09-23-13 All hail MCO & the tan van!!!
Received via Email 09-23-13 Overtime is never a pay increase. Yes you took home more money but you put in longer hours. Your definition of a pay increase needs to be further explored. I suggest getting a dictionary, its a wonderful resource. You will wonder how you ever got along without one.
Received via Email 09-23-13 If you are a top paid firefighter and you transfer to a 40 hour work week at HQ your hourly rate rises by $6.50 an hour. Notice that I didnt say you get a raise, However at the end of the year you still take home the same pay as your 24/48 hour conterpart. The Facts is the Facts.
Received via Email 09-24-13 Here's a thought, fob work for Tampa or Hillsborough. They have always been better than us in pay and benefits. Their mayor and commissioners also way better than ours. They transport, you all cried when that was about to happen here. Bunch of babies looking for a teet. So what if a spouse makes the money, no one entered this job to get rich and half of you GED people are making way more than any one else in private sector.
Received via Email 09-24-13 I say vote YES for this thing. An opportunity like this (for the city) is never going to come again and they know it.
Received via Email 09-24-13 Hay is out in the stations today pimping the story that Foster bent over backwards to GIVE us this contract and that we should be out on Friday nights holding signs for him. Why don't you explain how he bent over backwards to some guy who's in the steps that at the end of the contract of a lifetime why he hasn't gotten a pay raise for 6 years. Hay is such a liar that he only tells you what youwant to hear not what you need to hear. FTM
Received via Email 09-24-13 Are you sure that Steve didnt say that the Mayor really bent US over? Thats the way I understood the news from Thursdays Union Meeting notes that were brought back by my steward. But just in case I will be going over the printed versions of the proposed contracts later today when the lying SOB leaves here. Now lets see how Jim Barr and his band of swallowers explains this 6% raise thing.
Received via Email 09-24-13 From where I sit agreeing to this contract doesn't mean it's good it just means you signed it. It's like standing in a gargage doesn't make you a car.
Received via Email 09-24-13 The contract showed up in todays interoffice mail. Blank and Hay just wouldn't listen when Guella told them over and over again that even if someone else in the city got a 25% raise that it wouldn't matter because their ME TOO clause means nothing. Not only does the GWI suck but we're stuck with giving away anything else we might get to the city for all 3 years. I'll bet they don't mention this in the info meetings.
The parties agree that any GWI's offered by the city in fiscal years 2015 and 2016 shall be applied to a reduction in the average work week consistant with applicable provisions of Article 22 of this agreement.
Received via Email 09-24-13 It's good to hear that a contract fell into someone's hand but I haven't seen one yet. But I DO have this sheet that Hay rushed out the door for me to read.
Having exchanged accruals for the reduced work week we receive roughly 2.25 shifts less in vacation accruals. So I will use 6 R Days and 7 R Days as an example.
$360.72 x 7= 2,164.32 This is time off you are being paid for. A 5.5% raise is $2,062.
$360.72 x 7= 2,525.04 This is time off you are being paid for. A 6.5% raise is $2,437.
HAVING EXCHANGED ACCRUALS FOR THE REDUCED WORK WEEK??? That's right we traded accruals. Some are saying that we weren't offered anything in the 2nd and 3rd year. Must have been something offered or Hay wouldn't have used those words. And where do I pick up my check for $2,525.04?
Received via Email 09-25-13 I think I just saw the light. It seems that most of you are under the assumption that an R-day is a paid day off. Nothing could be further from the truth. Your r-day is just like the 2 days you had off before and the 2 days off after, it has NO pay associated with it at all. This is evident by looking at a current contract at the accural hours in the vacation and sick leave articles. See all of those different hourly amounts 80-120 I think. When you have an rday, depending on the cycle you are in results in a different amount of work hours that you earn hours on. Call Julie Newby and she will set you straight. As for your check for the $2,500, go to the bank of Chappell, Barr, Dooley, and Cunningham. You guys might be good at figuring drug doses but please leave the financialsto someone that excepts the facts as they are printed on the paper that we will have to live with for the next 3 years
Received via Email 09-25-13 I have a new idea for a better way we can spend our $1.6 MILLION dollars. Hows about we contact a car dealer and see how many take home scooters and Job shirts we can buy with that much money? We might be able to get the Mayor to bend over a little further for us and get him to put gas in them for us once in a while.
Received via Email 09-25-13 im voting "NOOOOOOOO"
Received via Email 09-25-13 Are you sure that Steve didnt say that the Mayor really bent US over? Thats the way I understood the news from Thursdays Union Meeting notes that were brought back by my steward. But just in case I will be going over the printed versions of the proposed contracts later today when the lying SOB leaves here. Now lets see how Jim Barr and his band of swallowers explains this 6% raise thing.
Received via Email 09-25-13 Text update!!!!! While we were being duped into believing the printed T/A'd contracts that made it out to the stations today, the supervisory Unit hog tied Johnson and staked him out on an ant hill. Then MTB, DC Crumity, and Chris Goo-ella held an unannounced non bargaining session and unsigned their agreement and rewrote a few of the articles to give themselves a better deal by increasing the HQ assignment pat to $250.00 a payday and then increasing the Entry pay for the DCs pay an additional $750.00 annually. I guess the members of the Supervisory Unit didnt believe Steve Hays spew of lies either and they convinenced MTB that he had better go along with the new deal or be prepared to get bounched from station to station for the rest of his career. Wow, what a change of events. How is it that the small group of 18 members can out negotiate, the Leader of the Century that brought us a bucket of 3 day old dead fish wrpped in a shitty baby diaper.
Received via Email 09-25-13 For thos of you who deny that we're being offered a 2 2 & 2, Hay was at my station today and said exactly that. Years 2 and 3 have to be worth something or the city wouldn't care about them . If the capatains and dc's redid their contract why can't we? Everyone's saying that we were never offered 2 2 & 2 but if it was they'd take it. The new guys are really getting screwed with no pay raise for 6 years. Somebody good with math figure out how much they're going to be losing in their pension for the rest of their lives. You can't take an r day with you but you can take a GWI.
Received via Email 09-25-13
To Steve Hay.
I'm flattered that you think enough of my words to carry them with you from station to station. This evening while you visited Station 9, you presented my crew with a portion of a letter that I wrote addressing a previous contract offer from more than a year ago. I was not in the room at the time that you chose to utilize a highlighted passage from it, but as it was explained to me, you were attempting to convince my crew that I had somehow been talking out of both sides of my mouth. The passage you had highlighted reads as follows:
"We need to be in step with the PD and the other bargaining units, not a year behind them. If we vote-in a new three year contract for anything less than what the captains and DC's bargained for, we'll be reduced to a bargaining unit with no clout an nothing to show for it."
Not presenting pg.1 of my letter for viewing is brilliant. The members don't have to worry about such trivial facts as the date that the letter was written - and with you presenting my statements as somehow representative of my true support for your current misguided attempt at what you've called a "public safety marriage," you get to quickly portray me as being full of shit - then run to your next destination.
Please be so kind as to grow a pair of balls and stop misrepresenting my words by presenting the entire letter which includes that date that it was written!
At the time that the letter was penned, you hadn't even gotten off the couch, yet. Like many others at the time, my intent was to convince Mike Blank that we needed to be in cycle with PD for contract negotiations and nothing more. The letter spoke only to timing. We have so little in common with PD, that I would never go out on a limb and suggest combining, marrying-up or colluding with them without exhaustive research into our common good. In the years leading up to their last two contracts, I sat in on all of their negotiations sessions and I can tell you that they truly have a different mind set. They think like cops who vote largely along party lines and not at all like labor unionists. However... I will concede that I do agree with their most recent angst at the PBA and potential move to the Teamsters -- a real union. Apparently not everyone is happy with PBA representation or with that of Foster's latest offer.
Steve... If, in all that you do in a given day portraying yourself as a leader of this Local - you can't speak the truth, you serve no useful purpose. What happened to you?
Jon Pearl - C-Shift Vice President
St. Petersburg Association of Fire Fighters
Received via Email 09-25-13 They had to make sure that Larges buddy Womack got taken care of. I mean I guess a take home car had no monetary value along with tolls. So his salary is same as a shift captain and an extra 6000 a year to shine Larges belt buckle. What a system
Received via Email 09-26-13 Tell me now how it is that the capt.'s and DC's strike a deal at the table then when Chief Slapaho decides to get involved again they end up with a better contract? How much more are the entry DC's getting and what percentage more are they getting? Am I missing something or what? It sounds like someone got a deal behind closed doors that's not in the copy of the contract that I'm looking at.
Received via Email 09-26-13 Hey Pearl. If you're looking for union officers who don't lie you better look somewheres else, their as thick as thieves around here. It makes me laugh to hear someone tellin g me that Hay really takes this shit personally. I guess he can't swallow the fact that not everyone agrees with this great contract offer but he has no problems with lying and being caught. He's turned into a punk.
Received via Email 09-26-13 Fire Admin wasnt able to control Chief Johnson at the bargaining table like they thought they could. After threats about his demeanor at the table went unheeded, they removed him from the team and brought in someone that they have so much shit on they know they can control for the rest of his 2 years. Yes, Chief Slapaho has alot of baggage. The Mayor and Chief Large are now assured of total control over the supervisory unit just like they have over the Rank and File.
Received via Email 09-26-13 For those of you who were unable to attend the last negotiation session in which both the contracts were T/A here is the background. The Cities offer to the supervisors unit included all of the items mentioned above including the increase in HQ pay (which was $100 by the city not $50), the complete elimination of the entry level DC step (Approx. $4000 pay raise for all new DC's and the basis of what Act. Capt. pay is based on). The union walked away from this offer because the city would not accept the complete package the union had on the table and thus stuck everyone with simply a 2% GWI. Once the captains caught wind of the city's offer and what their respective union walked away from it became clear the ratification of this contract would not pass. In an effort to salvage the vote, the union went back in realizing what they did and attempted to get the city's offer back on the table. They failed, but the city did concede to offering up a port
ion of the original offer to assist the agreement in passing ratification. The point here is if the supervisors did not even show up at the table they would have received a better contract for the majority than the one in which the paid union team negotiated for them. You would have to of been there to believe this but you will see it once the video posts in the near future. So yes, they did go back and get a slightly better offer, but one that is still less than the city wanted to provide in the first place?????
Received via Email 09-26-13 When watching Hay at station trying to explain his contract, he produced the above letter Jon Pearl wrote of. Some had already seen JP's explanation. When asked about the validity of the half letter his face became RED and he teetered close to explosion. He left the house quickly, not stopping to spin his tale. Vote against this contract, it stinks, Vote for Pauley, he has more balls, and hay will resign...
Received via Email 09-27-13 Budget already set so it does not matter what we vote on. City giving no more or no less unless you are supervisory unit and polishing Larges knob. Did you see that pic? He can't even see out of his eyes. Let him take a fit for duty test.
Received via Email 09-27-13 I heard that Mr. Hay was sent packing with his tail cut off from a northside station. He couldnt even get his pack of lies in the doorway before he was beset upon by members wanting to hear the truth. Maybe he went out to find the truth and just hasnt been able to find it yet. Hay was sent on his Way.
Received via Email 09-27-13 Hay came to the station I was at yesterday, and tried to spin his version of, "truths". When he misrepresented Jon Pearls' letter from another past contract cycle, again begin called out for telling lies as he does so well, he got that same shade of RED the last poster mentioned. If you have any input with the new, younger impressionable members, tell the the truth about this so call EVP. Just say NO to Hay & Blank... FYI, he was also talking very quietly to certain yes boys about JP being seen with the candidate that supports us, Rick Kriseman holding a sign and wearing a Union Tee. Somethings he said, I will not write here. Bottom line, you should be ashamed of the BS you have manufactured Hay.
Received via Email 09-28-13 Hay is total bullshit. He's lies and spins to those who don't know any better. I haven't found Jon Pearl to lie about anything yet. Hay can try all he wants to portray Pearl as a trouble maker but he's one man working against Hay and Blank and some others hiding behind the scenes. If you want to know who's lying, just look who's making a full time job out of selling a contract that has no downside to it.
Received via Email 09-28-13 There are some people out there confused about this contract. So if I may put it in simplicity. Take yours or wife's best mixing bowl and put a cherry on the bottom of the bowl.Now crap all over that Damn little cherry...... I mean reall good too... Now go to your cabinet where the utinsels are take a spoon out and eat....What do you mean that's gross, nasty, direspectfull, your telling me you dont eat shit But theres a Cherry at the bottom. A delicious cherry.. come on eat it. You will never get a cherry again after this. Well we will get that cherry, Its up to us if we want to eat that bowl of shit!!!!
Received via Email 09-28-13 I don't know why everyone is so upset. The contract has a lot of new benefits in it that will be very progressive in nature for all members. And there's changes from the Preamble to the Signature Page. Some were even supported by the union. But due to it's large volume of improvements we'll have to ratify it before we can read it. There's only a few copies to be had right now but as soon as it's ratified the printers at city hall will spew enough to go around. Remember, we need to ratify it to read what's in it. And the only way you'll be able to do that is to vote yes on this result of months of hard, skilled negotiating. Even Guella says we did a good job. And he should know. He's a lawyer. So vote, vote, vote for the best and final contract for 2013. Then read it from cover to cover to make sure you understand just how good it really is. I'm counting on you.
Received via Email 09-29-13 I have a better idea. Take the pensionable wage increases and since your willing to throw away your money, just use your pensionable wages to pay someone to work for you. If you take pensionable wages now they stay with you the rest of your life. Otherwise, In 30 years when your stareing at your can of spam and a box a macaroni and chesse you can reflect upon all of your unpensionable days off
Received via Email 09-29-13 Are they even having contract explanation meetings?
TEAM: Monday - @1000 hrs. & Tuesday @1000 Hrs.
Received via Email 09-29-13 Thanks team
TEAM: Any time.
TEAM: If you get some kind of error message when you try to open this page, it's not a virus, it's merely the scrolling message above the Kriseman ad at the top of the page. Some anti-virus programs don't care for the script but it's totally innocuous.
Received via Email 09-30-13 Damn I missed the Comedy Central Ass clown roast this morning at the Union Office.. Its a re run already seen it, heard it.. A BAD JOKE. Just vote NO!
Received via Email 09-30-13 Vote Pauley and end the All Powerful Reign of Chief Large and his little dancing puppet Michael Blank.
Received via Email 10-01-13 So I hear Hay had a bit of a meltdown today when Suddarth, Pearl and Mike Lewis asked if he'd told the members when he was out pimping this great contract if they knew that there's no language in it saying that the city has to hire any new firefighters. It really is a great contract when you hide all the bad stuff..
Received via Email 10-01-13 The last time I sold my old POS car, I didnt tell the guy buying it all the bad shit about it either. I lost no sleep over it. Blank and Hay will lose no sleep withholding the pertenant facts about this contract from us either. Bill Suddarth said it best when he pointed out that if it aint written down in a written contract, its not that it just aint written, IT AINT THERE. If the city takes your money for 3 years and then doesnt hire any new firefighters as we like to think they should, then what is to make them? Nothing written, nothing gained. The city has already renigged on a written contract concerning the DROP extension, so whats to keep them from honoring something that isnt? I still cant figure out when so many of our members got so wealthy that they think that the rest of us dont need to worry about our financial security. Many are preaching that we need to take this days off offer because the real estate market could tank again. If thats the case we had better secure our money first.
Received via Email 10-03-13 What the city gives today, the city can take tomorrow. Remember unlimited sick time that we had for decades? The city just decided to take it away. Remember that when you hired on you were promised health insurance when you retired? Now new hires don't have NO insurance when they retire. That is only a couple of examples of what the city had given us, then they just took away with nothing in exchange. So just remember that can also be done with the extra R/D. Also the R/D is not pensionable.
Received via Email 10-04-13 Extra Extra read all about it. Chief Large influences voters by his smear campaign against Rick Pauley, You did a good job against Pauley but you will never defeat Rick Kriseman and your smear campaign against him will not succeed, because he is much smarter than you and Silly Billy. Vote Rick Kriseman for a better City, and a better Fire Department, and thanks new Mayor Rick Kriseman for finally firing James D Large in January 2014 and putting a real chief in that position.
Received via Email 10-04-13 Received via Email 10-04-13 Do we even need that position? It has been absentee for years. We received the nice shitty black uniforms for all of his hard work on trying to figure out which uniform would be better. What else has he done? We lost E1. What else you say? Come on chime in he must have done something good during his regime. Please list something fat head Jimmy. We are all wondering what you have accomplished. Don't mention accreditation either, that's another waste of money that don't get us shit. That was Knights doing anyway. Yes I am rambling on like the time has been doing since fathead has taking over.
Received via Email 10-04-13 I heard that when Pauley was at the MFS last week that Hay came in talking the contract up when Pauley asked him if he'd worked the numbers yet to see for sure if we are really giving up 2% and 2% or if it will be more. Hay apparently told Pauley that the union wasn't going to work the numbers and that the members could do it if they wanted to. The ballots are in the mail now and I'd like to know if anyone in the union can tell me if we're giving up more than 4% and if a pay raise would be better. Blank, Hay?
TEAM: While we don't disagree with you, (someone needs to have the numbers so that they can reverse-engineer the offer) the most obvious sign that we're getting our ass' handed to us lies in the fact that Tampa has been on a 48 hour work week for years and they're now in line to get 8% over thee years. You can't buy more food with more time off unless you're willing to work those days off, too. If that's the case, stop wasting our time and just go after a pay raise until we can properly put a reduced work week in place.
"TAMPA — After some lean and hungry years, workers at City Hall like the idea of looking forward to a raise again.
Received via Email 10-04-13 Talk to t white. He figured it out and we are giving up a shit load.
Received via Email 10-04-13 Got mine today, big X on NO! FTM & his lil do boy's
Received via Email 10-04-13 I heard a couple of figures of what would be lost but I'm looking to find out about what the real pay raise would be if we figured out what $1.6 million is actaully worth as a %?!?!
Received via Email 10-04-13 Dean Adamides and Mike Lewis have both come up with a loss of $80-$85 THOUSAND DOLLARS including Pension. Tim White has added in DROP and comes up with $100 THOUSAND DOLLARS of LOST PENSIONIBLE EARNINGS. I would take a hard look at these figures before I jumped on more days off.
Received via Email 10-04-13 Just in case you missed this rather long worded post over on the Straight Dope page, I think it is definetly worth yout time to read and re-read this again.
Received via Email: 10-02-13 As is mentioned in the above post Chief Large is obviously running scared. I must also add a few of my factual memories to this story, and since you choose to go by your failing memory, I will rely on printed facts. First off it is Chief Large that speaks of speculation and rumor, yup you got that correct. Unfortunately it is your boys that are uttering the falsehoods. The mention of the financial hardship was spewed forth out of your #2 liar Hay at Tuesdays Contract let me tell it my way meeting. As for the Flood insurance issue, that comes from your fellow administrative bean counters in the Mayors office. This issue was never brought up at the table by either side. You then mention that EVERY discussion to date involved the hiring of 18 firefighters. If you will ask your 2 bookends that were at most of the bargaining sessions you will hear from them that the FD stood firm on 21 firefighters for the entire time Now you say that somewhere an agreement has been reached to hire 18 firefighters. I took pause to reread your threat about how things may change with the Mayoral Election. What you don't think we already know we are screwed if Foster keeps his seat? We aint scared, what's to give up? A single 2% GWI over the last 3 years and the next 3 years? You must think we are a bunch of chicken necked hookers for you to think we can be screwed for this pittance. Chief Large also says that during the worst 39 years of his career the worst have been during his Leadership and the city did not declare financial hardship. I guess if you want to go by his memory then its probably a true statement. However if you were to ask him about the "Financial Urgency" (this is the proper term in the Florida Statute) that Mayor Baker declared back in 2009. Have him find the memo dated April 20th, 2009 from the Labor Relations Manager Rose McCormick that was sent to him, Chiefs Wimberly, Ward, and Jolley. Then ask him to look up the letter that was sent on May 7th, 2009 to Florida Governor Charlie Crist by our 11th District U.S. Representative Kathy Castor that created a terrific uproar. Eventually after many meetings between President Newton and ALL of the City Council members this non existent threat went away. Hey Chief is it coming back to you yet? You finish by stating you have no vested interest either way yet you keep putting your nose in our business like its the Mayors ass.
I will finish with this;
Local 747 spent many dollars fighting for the implementation of a MOU times 2 that was bargained for in good faith and SIGNED. Chief Large and Mayor Foster refused to honor this agreement.
Members of Local 747 have endured the short staffing levels that have resulted in FRONT LINE firefighting units sitting OUT OF SERVICE on a regular basis. This was done by Chief Large with the approval of Mayor Foster.
Local 747 fought hard for the City to request funding through the SAFER Grant to help with staffing concerns. Chief Large and his Administration presented many hours of testimony to Mayor Foster and the City Council telling them that we had no such problem. Mayor Foster stated out right that he would be the "bad guy" by refusing to apply for the Grant if it was pushed.
As a City Council member Bill Foster stood proudly in front of the new Heavy 4 when it was delivered and pretended that it was something special. To this day Heavy 4 has never been staffed.
Chief Large and Mayor Foster froze hiring and promotions resulting in further staffing problems.
Chief Large pushed Local 747 into impasse while he alone stood firm on his demands that all firefighters couldn't be trusted and needed to subject themselves to Random Drug testing and Mandatory Annual Physicals. Just this past month the requirement for the Supervisory unit to have Random Drug tests was withdrawn for their contract with the HR director mumbling that this unit is not who they were seeking in the first place because they are of such higher honor and trust worthy
Local 747 negotiates its contracts with a representative appointed by the Mayor, which is the Labor Relations Department, NOT JIM LARGE.
Labor Relations is tasked with interpreting the Language that is or is not in our WRITTEN agreement, NOT CHIEF LARGE. There are no verbal agreements in a printed agreement because they don't stay in the book even with big staples.
Since Mayor Foster is the custodian of our agreement why hasn't he come forth with a piece of paper with this simple agreement on it? Has he reneged on this agreement too?
Chief Large and Mayor Foster have shown us time and time again that they cant be trusted with facts or hand shakes and this latest attempt to paint anyone of us as being untruthful is definitely calling a duck a duck. So keep quacking your total BS Chief and take head to your own words, "I have no vested interested interest in this either way" and shut the F up.
Thanks to Chief Large and Mayor Foster, I have begun to use this old adage as my new Motto. Trust but Verify. Even this is going to be tough when you look back on what Chief Large and Mayor Foster have done to us in the last few years under this Leadership.
Received via Email 10-04-13 You have all been duped by Large using Blank as a mindless puppet to save the city tons of cash on your behalf. Not only are the adding work on the street without benefit but now literally cutting benefits and making it look great. Do the numbers like T White worked up. Large you suck
Received via Email 10-04-13 I want a raise like Tampa! Vote NO on this contract! We deserve better!
Received via Email 10-05-13 And the answer is......What does $1.6 Million dollars represent as a raise? 1% of payroll is equal to $180,000.00. So 180,000.00 x 8.8% GWI= $1,600,000.00. In simple terms we are giving up the same as a 3 year deal of the 2% for FY 14 and another 8.8% for the 2 remaining years. Now lets not forget that almost a third of our salaries are paid for with EMS funds plus another $75,000.00 from the additional work load from undercutting south Pasadena and now the extra $900,000.00 form out of the pockets of our Pinellas Park brothers. So as you can see #1 there was almost 2/3rds of what we need from the $'s our admin screwed out of the surrounding communities, and 2nd we are total laughing idiots to be giving up $6,000.00 worth of pensionable pay increases over the next 3 years. I know I would sleep better knowing that I would have enough money to pay for the increases to my flood, and homeowners ins. My increasing property taxes, food, fuel, electric, and water costs, and of course the unknowns with raising 2 children. I guess if you nap hard enough on your days off, you can just put all of those worries out of your mind.
TEAM: Brilliant! These are the numbers we were waiting for. As you might recall, Rick Pauley recently asked Steve Hay what 1% added up to in this latest offer and Hay replied that the members could find it them themselves, do the math and then vote this contract down if they disapprove. Well there are the numbers and if Michael Blank and Steve Hay ever took the time to ask for them and work them, they sure didn't share them with Secretary Treasurer Bill Mott. Everyone was busy looking at the shiny thing and right under our collective noses the city was offering us far more than a 2, 2 & 2 GWI.
Now you all know the truth. The shiny thing isn't going to cost us 2% for year two and another 2% for year three. It's going to cost us 4.4% in year two and 4.4% in year three. We're actually paying more for the opportunity to reduce our work week than Tampa Fire Rescue (who's already working 48 hours a week) is getting over the next three years and that's an 8%GWI! The reality is, Tampa is light years ahead of us already because they employ long term union officers who can negotiate a contract. FACT: Tampa will move ahead 8% and we're about to vote to move backwards 8.8%, instantaneously growing the gap in our pay plans by another 16.8%.
This is what happens when members stop being objective and instead, are subjective. Better pay and benefits don't suddenly occur when the membership's total involvement relies on their merely paying dues, along with wishing and hoping that Blank and Hay will somehow gain the knowledge, wisdom and requisite bargaining skills that are required, while they sleep. Instead they have manufactured a pipe dream with a price tag and everybody wants a piece of the action. What's really alarming is to hear the stories around the stations by our own membership who are oh so sharp when it comes to their money that they openly brag about the air conditioning guy, appliance guy and the mechanic who tried to screw them over but they stopped them dead in their tracks. Why so sharp spending your money but not so much when it comes to making it?
Vote yes for this contract and yes for Bill Foster. Two items that aren't anything like what you've been told they were.
Received via Email 10-06-13 So you're saying that Blank and Hay only told us about the good and none of the bad. I'm shocked. It's as if getting re elected was more important than getting a decent contract. I bullshitting worked for Blank again.
Received via Email 10-06-13 I'm in the DROP. Vote YES for this contract. I want to be able to call the stations in 3 years and ask how contract negotiations are with you supposedly trying to catch up to the rest of Pinellas county.
Received via Email 10-06-13 Good news is NO more Brownouts. Bad news is, the same day we got rid of Engine 1 and Truck 13. Wait just a minute, those were the two vehicles being browned out mostly anyway. Now they are permanently gone and Large is making it look like he is a hero by not browning out anymore. Everyone sees through your smoke and mirrors Large. Are you really that ignorant to think all of us are that stupid to not see the truth. You may fool the city council and Silly Billy but the firefighters and citizens see right through you.
Received via Email 10-06-13 Pleas may I have another? Everyione needs to read what was posted and tell all your friends to vote this thing down. Not everyone has seen the numbers on this page. There's no gaurantee in the contract that we won't be working more in 2016 and the fact that Large is backing it scares the hell out of me. Tell your friends what it really costs and lets go after something better no matter how long it takes. We're paying for bennies so that Blank and Hay can show Foster we're backing him. Not me.
Received via Email 10-06-13 We haven't voted for anything yet. Hold your ballots for a few days and see how many more lies are uncovered and then decide how good or bad your next 3 years are going to be.
