City managers and the local firefighters’ union have widely different views of the most recent failed proposal for the firefighters’ contract. The Sacramento Press readers can join the debate by reading official memos from the recent contract proposal here.

Contract negotiations between Sacramento Area Firefighters Local 522 and city officials failed earlier this week. After the most recent deal flopped, the City Council decided to move ahead with its budget cut to fire 68 firefighters. The last day of the work for the 68 firefighters is July 2, and they will be paid through July 3, according to acting city spokeswoman Wendy Klock-Johnson. The union points out that the firefighters will be laid off prior to the Fourth of July holiday, which means there are higher public safety risks.

The two sides disagreed over the meaning of the language in the latest contract proposal. The proposal includes language referring to a 5 percent pay cut in the 2009/2010 fiscal year, a 5 percent pay raise in the 2010/2011 fiscal year and paid time off.

City officials and union representatives both agree that firefighters were willing to give up the 5 percent salary increase scheduled for next month. However, the groups are divided on how they view the language referring to a pay increase in the 2010/2011 fiscal year.

The paragraphs in the proposal that referred to the 5 percent pay raise in June 2010 were not mentioned in Local 522’s June 23 statement that was sent to media outlets. The statement sent out by Local 522 is available here.

“Effective June 19, 2010, salary ranges in terms of bi-weekly rates shall be adjusted by five (5%), and are set forth in Exhibit A-2, ” according to the proposal for the agreement.

Assistant City Manager Gus Vina contends that the proposal’s language means that firefighters were asking for a 5 percent raise that would kick in on June 19, 2010. He also raised objections to another sentence in the proposal, which states: “This agreement shall remain in full force and effect from June 20, 2009 to, and include June 19, 2010.”

By using the word “include” in the sentence, Local 522 is again saying that the raise would start on June 19, 2010, Vina says.

Local 522 spokeswoman Robin Swanson strongly disagreed with Vina’s arguments about the proposed contract language. "It’s very disappointing that they would put that out there,” Swanson said. “It’s very clear that the firefighters have been willing to give up their raise.”

Swanson also commented on the language that refers to the 5 percent salary increase in 2010. She said the language means that firefighters want to come back to the negotiating table in one year, and negotiate from the same starting point, which was a 5 percent increase.

Swanson raised concerns about public safety. “Sixty-eight firefighters laid off the day before the Fourth of July: That’s crazy,” she said.

Vina responded that the city and Local 522 have been involved in complicated negotiations for months. He said he had “absolutely no level of comfort or confidence” that there could be a successful deal to eliminate the 5 percent raise in 2010 if it was put into the contract.

Vina said the agreement would have meant the city would have to pay firefighters a 5 percent raise in 2010 while other unions receive less.

He said he had a challenge for the union: If Local 522 is honestly saying that the 5 percent raise in 2010 is “up for grabs,” why did the union put the language for the raise in the proposal?

The proposal also had language relating to time off for firefighters: “Employees will receive forty (40) hours, or fifty-six (56) hours in suppression, of paid time off on June 20, 2009.”

The Sacramento Press was able to view the proposal documents after negotiations ended between the union and city managers.

Klock-Johnson noted that materials and conversations about labor relations are confidential during the course of negotiations.

Kathleen Haley is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.