Fallsnewspress.com - City dispatchers make concessions on contract

From Staff Reports

Cuyahoga Falls -- Members of the dispatchers' union approved concessions to their contract with the city of Cuyahoga Falls. Ballots were counted on Jan. 28, said Angela Hawsman, local union representative for the Fraternal Order of Police Ohio Labor Council.

Hawsman said she signed a memorandum of understanding Jan. 29, along with Mayor Don L. Robart and Hope Jones, the city's Deputy Law Director. As part of the agreement, union members will forgo raises in 2010 and take six unpaid furlough days this year.

The union represents 12 full-time dispatchers in the Cuyahoga Falls Dispatch Center which processes police and fire calls for Cuyahoga Falls, Silver Lake and Munroe Falls.

City officials had asked all of their unions to agree to concessions to help save money in the city's general fund. The dispatchers' union was the last one to take action on the concession proposal.

Robart noted the administration was "pleased" with the unions that agreed to make concessions in their current contract.

"Other than the police, everybody has come along," said Robart.

"We are pleased that the dispatchers have joined the overwhelming majority of other city employees in sharing the sacrifices necessary to maintain city services and keep people employed," said Virgil Arrington, the city's Law Director.

Robart noted he felt the dispatchers' group had "come the farthest the fastest" in the contract talks. Initially, Robart said, the group did not want to talk with the administration, but eventually agreed to the concessions.

Robart said the goal has been to save $3 million in the general fund in 2010.

"We'll save that one way or another," said Robart. "Even with the concessions, we still have a long ways to go." He added the city will continue examining more ways to save money.

"We're going to run as lean as we possibly can," said Robart.

Members of the AFSCME union (American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees), and the International Fire Fighters Union Local 494 approved concessions in December.

Members of the Utility Workers Union of America, representing employees of the city's Electric Department, voted down a concession agreement in December, but in January a tentative agreement was reached to avoid the layoffs of three employees. Four members of the union have signed letters of intent to retire this year, according to a union spokesman.

Earlier in January, both bargaining units that represent Falls police officers rejected the city's recommended concessions on their current contracts. After that rejection, four members of the police department were laid off Jan. 15, and four sergeants were demoted to patrolman Feb. 1.

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