By Sharla Steinman
Loveland Reporter-Herald
LOVELAND, Colo. — The Loveland Fire Rescue Authority Board moved forward with recognizing IAFF Local 3566 , the union that represents Loveland’s firefighters, as a collective bargaining union during its monthly board meeting Wednesday afternoon.
Earlier this week, Local 3566 President Craig Willard , told the Loveland Reporter-Herald the union was beginning the process of becoming the official representative of Loveland firefighters, which would allow members to have a direct say in negotiations regarding compensation and benefits. The union didn’t previously hold bargaining power, but provided support to firefighters in other ways.
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“We are seeing firefighters that can’t afford to buy a house,” Willard said during his presentation to the board. “Our firefighters actually qualify for Habitat for Humanity houses … We’re trying to address that, but it’s getting worse every year.”
Willard also made it clear during the meeting that even with a collective bargaining union, firefighters will not be able to strike, hold work stoppages, or conduct any other action that would impact public safety.
City Council member Andrea Samson , who also serves on the LFRA Board, made a unanimous motion accepting the union’s new designation, given that Local 3566 members approve. Samson said the decision to pursue collective bargaining was an exciting step for staff and firefighters, and added that she believes it will be a good tool to rebuild the department positively.
Just a few months ago, 75% of LFRA’s staff signed a letter indicating their lack of confidence in the board after former Fire Chief Tim Sendelbach was placed on paid administrative leave.
After Samson’s motion passed, Willard said the board’s decision most likely won’t impact the union’s goal of getting an initiative on the ballot in November.
“I don’t think that’s going to change our thoughts on the ballot measure,” Willard said.
Willard previously told the Loveland Reporter-Herald that the union would prefer to go through the state’s official process to get voter approval because it offers more safeguards.
“If this … initiative passes, then nobody can repeal it but the citizens,” Willard previously told the Loveland Reporter-Herald .
The authority board was also presented with signatures from 94% of LFRA’s eligible members, which will be verified by LFRA executive staff before the union can begin collecting signatures from rural and district residents to get on the ballot. Willard said 97 out of 103 eligible staff members provided their signature.
The LFRA board was in full support of collective bargaining, and Mayor Pat McFall , who also serves on the authority board, said he was surprised the union didn’t already have the ability to negotiate.
“It took me by surprise,” McFall said. “I knew there was a union, and I assumed with the union there was already bargaining…”
City Manager Jim Thompson , who also serves on the board, was quick to agree.
“If we want to go there, and they desire to have that as a workforce, let’s just go there,” he said.
During the meeting, the LFRA board also discussed next year’s budget. The board previously spoke with LFRA staff about budget priorities, and asked staff to come to Wednesday’s meeting with dollar amounts for those requests.
The proposed requests are $9.9 million over this year’s $27 million budget, and included funding for a spectrometer, to raise staff compensation, and to hire additional staff. Thompson made it clear that the department would not be able to get every additional request within the $9.9 million because that amount ralls outside of the city’s budget.
“ … We would have to increase taxes to make up for this increase, so we can’t. We can’t do it all,” Thompson said during the meeting. “ … So now the question is, what are those priorities?”
The board agreed that raising staff compensation was a major priority, given Loveland firefighters are currently the lowest paid compared to several nearby departments.
To get staff to the 70th percentile in base pay compared to nearby departments, LFRA would need an additional $2.6 million, or $2.3 million to reach the 50th percentile, the department’s standard goal.
Board members had several questions for LFRA staff on $4 million for the apparatus fund and $1.13 million for additional battalion chiefs, and made a request to set up a public meeting to go through each item in the general budget.
LFRA staff and the board will continue discussions of next year’s budget in future meetings, which will most likely include compromises on some of LFRA’s $9.9 million additional budget requests to fall within the city’s means.
The board also addressed the search for a new fire chief, unanimously approving a request for quote to share with potential executive search firms. The request is for information on how the firm will measure each fire chief candidate’s engagement with staff, the community, and shareholders. LFRA staff will use the RFQ to select an executive search firm to hire Loveland’s next fire chief.
The next Loveland Fire Rescue Authority meeting will most likely take place at 1:30 p.m. May 27 in the Bartholf Conference Room at Station 1, 410 E. Fifth St. , based on the board’s regular meeting schedule, and an agenda will be posted on LFRA’s website, https://lfra.org/AgendaCenter/LFRA-Board-2, at least 24 hours in advance of the meeting.
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