Firemen take pay cuts, policemen are laid off
Tulsa firefighters voted for pay cuts and saved 147 jobs while the Tulsa Police union rejected a pay cut and 124 officers have lost their jobs.
Tulsa firefighters over the weekend said yes to a 5.2 percent pay cut to save the jobs of 147 firemen who had already received pink slips from the city on Friday.
The union voted 442-177 in favor of a 5.2 percent cut for 17 months plus eight unpaid furlough days and the loss of some other benefits, including fitness pay and clothing assistance. The cuts were needed because the city’s general fund has an immediate $10 million-plus shortfall due to declining sales tax revenues.
“We can now get on with the business we were all hired to perform, to deliver quality services and protection to the citizens of Tulsa,” said Mayor Dewey Bartlett in response to the positive vote of the International Association of Fire Fighters Local 176. “We offered a very good plan to the Fire union members in order to retain all our workforce, and our collaborative discussions with the fire union leaders were obviously productive. We have an agreement that will take us through the next 17 months. Now, we can move forward and focus our attention on being the best fire department possible, capitalizing on the strengths and passions of these men and women.
“My thanks goes to the firefighters for their willingness to help our city in this time of need. My thanks also goes to the union leadership for their confidence in our administration. Their ability to promote their members as a true example of brotherhood and sisterhood is a breath of fresh air.”
Stan May, president of Tulsa Firefighters Local 176, said the firemen had no choice. Unlike police, which are backed up by county deputies, state troopers and federal law enforcement, the firemen are the only line of defense against fires.
Negotiations between the city and the police were less than harmonious. Bartlett said it was up to the union to decide between layoffs or pay cuts. Union leaders said they simply voted to keep the contract that they have with the city and it was up to Bartlett to decide if he would lay off policemen.
Last week, the Fraternal Order of Police overwhelmingly voted down a pay cut versus layoffs. Members expressed a distrust of Bartlett and his administration and some suggested that while he dealt in good faith with the firefighter union, the FOP got the short end of the stick.
“They didn’t feel like the mayor negotiated in good faith,” said Ryan Perkins of the FOP.
Perkins said the city surveys 10 comparable cities to see how the police should be compensated and Tulsa should be in the middle. Instead, Tulsa ranks ninth.
Bartlett said he was careful to make sure that everyone got similar offers.
“We gave the union an option with salary concessions and no layoffs and unfortunately they chose to layoff several of their fellow police officers. It has been our intent all along to address public safety first and foremost and live within our means as a city,” Bartlett said. “This was the best offer for the safety of the people of Tulsa. The union has decided to put their interest ahead of those they serve. This is regrettable. Given their decision, we do not foresee any problems with being able to provide the public safety our citizens deserve. The people of Tulsa were let down tonight by the very people they hired and trained to protect them.”
On Friday, 155 police officers got layoff notices but 31 of those policemen got a reprieve when Bartlett signed the memorandums of understanding previously approved by the police union for officers to give up the take-home vehicles going outside the city and to give more notice to use compensation time. The provisions extend through the current fiscal year, which ends June 30. Those memorandums, which dealt with officers living outside the city taking their police cars home and with comp time, saved $566,000, funding the salaries of 27 officers.
That plus some recent police retirements and resignations added enough savings to retain 31 officers targeted to be laid off.
Bartlett has instructed interim Police Chief Chuck Jordan to look into federal Justice Assistance Grants to recommend how the grants might be used.
“I am glad we are able to rescind these layoffs based on these savings for the rest of the year. There certainly was an opportunity to save more jobs through our no-layoff proposal to the union,” Bartlett said.
“In the coming weeks, I look forward to meeting with officers face-to-face individually and in squad meetings to discuss current issues of the City and local law enforcement, to hear their ideas and also make our goals and objectives clear.
“I want to thank all members of the Tulsa police force for their dedication and top quality service to this community.”
Thirty city workers were also laid off Friday. The city’s 2,400 non-police and non-firefighter employees voted to take layoffs in lieu of a 5.2 percent pay cut.
The layoffs would drop the number of Tulsa police from 808 to about to about 683.
Bartlett said he is still open to suggestions on bringing back the laid off officers.
Under ex-mayor Kathy Taylor, all city employees were forced to take eight unpaid furlough days during the current fiscal year. That’s about a 3.1 percent pay cut. Bartlett indicated those furloughs will probably be continued during the 2010-2011 fiscal year.