11/20/2009 Meeting Minutes - Laserfiche WebLink

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Council Minutes of 10-20-2009 Unfortunately, the threats of the next round of layoffs have already happened. The next six firefighters have been informed that they're not going to possibly be here at the first of the year. There's talk of demoting officers. The threats are out there again, of course, during negotiations. It seems the wrong tactic to take when their side is willing to work. They don't feel as though they have met that type of communal effort on the other side. It would be nice to have some issue and resolution with-and be able to move forward and to see what we can do about bringing the firefighters back to keep the safety level intact. Mayor O'Grady said some of the comments made by the firefighters -some of them - have been unfortunate. He encourages them to use their chain of command. He thinks it's important to clarify the record. What he wants to make very clear today is that more than four years ago, on the first day he was elected to office, he met with the executive committee of the North Olmsted firefighters. At that time he informed those gentlemen that things had to change, that the taxpayers in the city of North Olmsted could no longer afford continued business as usual. The change needed to be made. The concessions needed to be made. And, unless that happened, he told them, the city would have layoffs in three years. The executive committee invited him to bring that same message to the full membership, which he did. And, he conveyed exactly that same message. When the international economy crashed in the last quarter of last year, they went to the firefighters again and they went to our other unions, told them they need the concessions. If there are not concessions, there are going to be layoffs. They got -their answer and layoffs happened. That's a very different story than the one just heard about folks who have been willing to work with them because they haven't seen it. They welcomed that. If that's a true promise, then step forward and do the right thing and bring the concessions and allow your membership to have a little more security. Mr. Peters said Mr. Mayor, you said the effort wasn't there -you weren't present at the meetings. They offered to bring the Mayor into negotiations and the Mayor told him it was more important for him to be able to comment publicly in the newspapers than be part of the negotiations. Mayor O'Grady said that was never said. Mike Smalley, 4711 Bailey Road said he represents North Olmsted Softball Association. as a league rep. He can speak on behalf of the other ones as well. He believes the dogs in the park Ordinance would be something beneficial to not only the residents but also the people who come in from other cities who see the sign. Council President Kennedy suggested Mr. Smalley attend the committee meeting. Mayor O'Grady reminded everyone that if they cannot attend the meeting, to submit comments and concerns in writing. John Davis, 5862 Barton Road said he's up here tonight as a citizen. He said he was on that executive committee that the Mayor spoke to previously going back four years ago. The city is compromising the safety of the citizens. This city Administration went to final and binding arbitration with the firefighters. The city spent hundreds of thousands of dollars fighting this, going to an appeals court. They lost at the appeals court. The city appealed again, and the appeals court said no. The city appealed again to a three- panel judge. A three-panel judge said the firemen were right with their grievance. The city appealed to the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court refused to hear the case. Have you ever heard of the firefighters taking a final and binding arbitration and appealing it? 8 - .