Fire district commissioners will review and discuss the renegotiation of a contract with firefighters Union 6 at the next Lehigh Acres Fire Control and Rescue District to be held Tuesday, Dec 10, 2019.
Fire Chief Robert Dilallo recently finalized negotiations with Union 6, for a three-year contract for rank-and-file which came back with a 4 percent raise for all firefighters, plus they would get their “Kelly-days” back, days off to keep hours within a negotiated work week.
In a separate negotiation, officers and administrative staff received a 5 percent raise, with no Kelly-days.
However, during the fire district’s regularly scheduled board meeting in October, three of the five commissioners Bennett, Kruse, and Sherman voted in favor of reopening the Union 6 contract to make it a 5 percent increase across the board.
Commissioner Linda Carter was one of the two dissenting votes on the bargaining contract agenda item.
“I was against reopening that contract because it had already been bargained. I felt that it was wrong. We are the approving authority so why would we reopen that contract? The commissioners who were in favor wanted to open it up again and give the firefighters that 1 percent on top of their Kelly-days,” Carter said.
According to Carter, she will remain opposed during the upcoming Dec 10 meeting.
“I voted against it during the bargaining contract, and I will vote against it when it comes up again during our next meeting,” Carter said. “I stand in the middle, half for the firefighters and half for the community.”
The Lehigh Acres Community Council and it’s President Charles Edwards has asked to address the fire district’s board of commissioners in regards to what Edwards says is a possible conflict of interest — to re-open negotiations with the firefighter’s union and give them an additional 1 percent raise.
The Lehigh Acres Community Council has posted the following notice on their Facebook page :
In two polls ran in Facebook 84-86% were in favor of a recall vote for Fire commissioners Bennett, Kruse, and Sherman.
Edwards also stressed that this is not an attack on the firefighters or staff.
“On Nov. 6, I received an email from Edwards who wanted to be allowed to come and discuss the bargaining contract during our next meeting, and I felt it was fair,” Carter said. “He will be allowed 15 minutes to discuss the topic of district payroll,” said Carter.
Carter invites the public to participate as well.
“We would like to have the community show up. The more they are involved, the better, ” Carter said.
The Lehigh Acres Fire Control and Rescue District will hold its next regularly scheduled meeting on Tuesday, Dec 10, at 5 p.m. Meeting is held at Lehigh Acres Municipal Services Improvement District, 601 East County Lane, Lehigh Acres.
For more information visit: www.lehighfd.com/