ALCON

The Adjutant General’s Firefighters Agency Specific Negotiations ended on Monday, December the 8^th, the two days of negotiations covered three topics.

Article 1: Appendix Q: Erosion – The Union opened this Article in hopes of becoming better informed of when military personnel would be counted in the manning. The Union argued that military personnel are not incorporated on shift rosters which does not allow for the Assistant Chiefs and Station Captains to properly prepare the shift rosters / schedules. This often leads to bargaining members not being able to schedule time off during UTAs, SUTAs, or RUTAs. Management stated that this was rarely a problem, but did agree to begin the practice of scheduling military personnel on the shift rosters / schedules.

Proposed Contract Amendment

The advance notice of the availability of military personnel will be posted on the station roster / schedule as soon as possible.

Article 30.09: Appendix Q: Holiday Leave Bank for the Firefighters – Management and the Union both had concerns over this article. Management proposed converting the thirty-six hour per quarter holiday leave bank to a thirty-six hour per quarter holiday pay stipend. Under management’s proposal every member would receive thirty-six hours of straight pay at the beginning of every quarter, completely eliminating the holiday leave. The Union proposed having the option to “cash out” holiday leave up to one hundred forty-four hours. The Union also asked for an additional twenty-four hours of holiday leave. Management argued that the bargaining members were already over compensated for holiday leave and that due to budget constraints it would not be feasible to increase the holiday leave bank hours.

Proposed Contract Amendment

Consistent with the sick and personal leave payoff in December each year, each employee of the firefighter unit shall be eligible for a cash payment of up to 144 hours of holiday leave.

Article 11.20: Appendix Q: Fitness Incentive – Management opened this article with two main concerns. They believed that members that could not pass the annual abilities test should be removed from emergency responses, have their hours reduced, and possibly be terminated through progressive discipline for repeatedly failing the annual abilities test. Management also proposed implementing completion times for the annual abilities test based on three age categories.

Article 11.20: Appendix Q: Fitness Incentive – (Con’t.)

1. 18 to 30 - 10 Minutes

2. 31 to 45 - 12 Minutes

3. +45 - Forward Progress

The Union countered with several different age categories and an increase in the incentive pay, but no agreement between the two parties could be reached. The current language in Article 11.20, Appendix Q, will be upheld.

In closing management stated that the Union had missed a great opportunity to protect its members against any completion time limits that the DOD or the Air Force might implement on the annual abilities test. This is not the case at all, if the DOD or the Air Force would ever implement a timed annual abilities test the contract would have to be amended to take in to consideration the new requirement.