June 2010
CHIEF OF LABOR RELATIONS CORNER
Apple Valley Fire Heating Up!
So far 2010 has been a tumultuous year for the Apple Valley Professional Firefighters Association (PFA). To begin with, in February the PFA agreed to defer their 6% salary increase due to the membership in July. This concession was made because of the economic conditions of the Fire District.
In April, I was invited along with members of the PFA to attend a budget workshop the District held. As mentioned in last month's article the Fire Chief unveiled what he has coined as the "New Norm." This consists of three engine companies staffed with three personnel and one squad staffed with two personnel per shift.
This reduction in staffing created a stir within the PFA and created a desired result from them to ask the Board of Directors of the Apple Valley Fire Protection District to request a proposal from San Bernardino County Fire to provide fire protection to the community of Apple Valley. I was directed by the PFA to send each Board of Director a personal letter requesting they look into County Fire. None of them responded to the letter. What is especially interesting about this is that one of the Board of Directors, Pat Gabler, used to be a firefighter for Apple Valley Fire. He decided to leave and go to work for the Riverside City Fire Department because of the economic uncertainty of the Apple Valley Fire District. It looks as if he has forgotten where he came from of he has decided to subscribe to the "I Got Mine" theory and ignore his fellow brothers.
Next I spoke at the Fire Board's May meeting outlining the need for them to look into County Fire. I provided the staffing levels of the Fire District for 1992 and 1994. This information came straight out of the Fire District's Annual Report. Rather than addressing the PFA concerns, the Vice-President of the Board, Richard Cambridge decided to attack me at the end of the meeting for not staying its completion. Sources who were present at the meeting told me that while he was stating his displeasure with me he decided it was necessary to use curse words. After hearing about this aggressive posture, I requested a copy of the recording of the meeting; However, I was told that there was a problem with the recording and they would be unable to provide me with a copy. I found that to be very convenient.
If that was not enough turmoil, the Fire District is now requesting the PFA take the additional financial hits. First off they are asking the PFA for a reduction of 7% of their salary beginning in July 2010. This is in addition to the 6% the PFA has already agreed to. Secondly, the District wants to freeze all merit step increase. This request is being asked when the Fire District has decided to raise the reserves from 10% to 15 % and add an additional $100, 00.00 to the line item titled "Appropriations of Contingencies" in the Fire District's Budget. Stay tuned for next month's article on this matter.
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