News
Ongoing Negotiations
Published
4 years agoon
By
Ron Richter
Collective bargaining between the City of Sheridan and the International Association of Firefighters Local Union #276 continues as the City Council held a special meeting Thursday night to consider the latest proposal from the local union. Sheridan Mayor Roger Miller says that the Council voted to reject the proposal from the firefighters and elected to offer the union a counter proposal. He said that there are three options on the table as far as what happens next.
Negotiations between the two sides will resume during a special meeting this evening that is scheduled for 6 pm. The contract that is being negotiated is for the fiscal year that begins on July 1.
Dave
May 1, 2020 at 8:54 pm
Dear Mayor Miller,
You fail to mention that our fire department has been suffering in pay and staffing since Kinskey was mayor and knocked them down. Not only is our fire department extremely under paid per state average but they operate with a skeleton crew. Most cities sheridans size would have at least double the staffing for firefighters. The staffing level of Sheridan fire rescue makes their job that much more dangerous. They should get paid to compensate for that. It is also a safety concern for me and my family that if my house catches on fire,only 4 firemen are on duty to respond. Our city cops are paid above the state average for the risks they take every day to protect our city. Why do you feel our fire department deserves to suffer so much for taking the same risks? Safety should come first for our community.
Austin
May 1, 2020 at 8:55 pm
Dear Mayor,
I understand that COVID doesn’t help the city with budgeting for the next year. However much of our Fire Departments lack in pay falls directly on your shoulders for the past 4 years. Why do you feel that it is acceptable for our Fire Department to be 20% under paid in a city with one of the highest costs living? They should be paid above the state average just as the police are. Our firefighters also don’t receive the automatic pay increases as every other fire department for the first five years which makes them even further behind the state average as their career progresses. It has also been brought to my attention that Sheridan Fire-Rescue operates without an assistant chief and with only 4-5 firefighters on duty. Is this really not a safety concern to you? Times may be projected to be tough but 20% behind the curve is huge! If you don’t give them something this year what is your plan to close the gap? I hope more of our community will voice their concerns of your lack of support to our firefighters who risk their lives to keep our community safe.
Brayella
May 2, 2020 at 2:58 pm
?
Marie
May 10, 2020 at 6:31 am
If I remember correctly, 3 or 4 years ago the Firemen received a pay raise when NO other City employees did! Is that fair to those City employees? NO they are ALL city employees. If one gets a raise don;t you think they ALL should? Now you say they ( the Firemen) should receive ANOTHER raise when no others are? I would bet that if a water main broke and the water department didn’t fix it you would be screaming for them to get water to your house, Or if the trash wasn’t collected for a few weeks you say get those guy’s a raise so I can get my trash picked up. Other department are also working short handed every day! And have been every scene they had the layoffs when Mayor Kinskey was there! But those employees don’t matter Right? Those city employees insurance is going up also. But we need to give the firemen a raise because their insurance is going up!