City of Manhattan Beach, Firefighters' Association Trade Words as Dispute Continues
Jul 25, 2022 05:31PM ● By Mb News Staff
Manhattan Beach firefighters conduct rooftop training in Manhattan Beach. Photo via Manhattan Beach Firefighters Association.
A contract dispute between the city of Manhattan Beach and the Manhattan Beach Firefighters' Association has heated up, as the two-year mark without a contract passed on July 1.
The MBFA is a labor association that represents all
non-management Manhattan Beach Fire Department employees, including
Firefighter/Paramedics, Fire Engineer/Paramedics, and Fire
Captain/Paramedics.
The contract issue rose to new emotional heights last week, with ardent supporters of the Manhattan Beach Fire Department dominating a public comment period that stretched out for nearly two hours at the July 19 Manhattan Beach City Council meeting.
Supporters filled the City Council chambers in bright red shirts that said, "Keep Our MBFD Local," while commenter after commenter relayed stories of how the MBFD had performed heroic life-saving actions.
With negotiations at an impasse, the firefighters have complained of "mismanagement" at the Fire Department with six fire chiefs in the last five years; and with frozen positions leaving staffing at dangerously low levels (resulting in significantly increased overtime costs).
Nevertheless, City Council members have held firm on their side of the dispute, maintaining that the city has made significant modifications from its opening proposal at the beginning of 2021 in an effort to move closer to an agreement, and that there is no threat to public safety.
After nearly two hours of public comments, Mayor Steve Napolitano added his own commentary on the issue. (The council was not scheduled to take any action on the issue at the meeting.)
"Lest anyone forget, Council are all residents too. We rely on the Fire Department's response as well. They were regular visitors who helped my father in the last year of his life, and we will never forget their help and support," said Napolitano.
"Everyone in Manhattan Beach has a firefighters' story - and I know that’s why you're all here - or were here," added Napolitano, noting that many supporters had left the meeting by the time he was able to speak. "But along with these stories come the responsibility to maintain a sustainable department so they can continue to serve us into the future."
City Council Releases Statement
The City Council released an open
letter on the issue that Manhattan Beach Mayor Steve Napolitano read
portions of at the meeting, interspersed with his own commentary.
The statement reinforced the notion that the City Council fully
supports the Fire Department and all its personnel,
and is committed to reaching a mutually acceptable agreement.
"We continue to be surprised by the tenor of the Fire Association’s
communications regarding the fire negotiations and want to be sure we
clarify much of the misunderstanding and incorrect allegations," the statement began.
The statement went on to describe how
- The City Council has made numerous proposals in an effort to come to an equitable agreement only to be rejected by the MBFA;
- The safety of the Manhattan Beach community is not compromised;
- The city has not proposed outsourcing to L.A. County Fire;
- The city’s proposal is a clear path to reduce overtime;
- A disputed item regarding Battalion Chief compensation is a separate discussion from the Manhattan Beach Firefighters’ Association (MBFA) negotiation;
MBFA Issues Rebuttal to Statement
Following the meeting, the firefighters' association issued a line-by-line rebuttal of the City Council statement.
In the rebuttal, the firefighters assert that:
- The city has refused mediation twice;
- The city's initial offer and final offer both contain ten takeaways, not reflecting significant movement in its bargaining position;
- Unlike other city employees, the firefighters have received zero cost of living increases since 2018;
- Vacancies in Battalion Chief positions have required firefighters to fill in those vacancies, causing a continued excessive overtime problem;
- City Council's "true intention" is to reduce sworn staffing from 26 down to 24, reducing the city's ability to respond on large incidents;
- The MB Fire Department is being "lost to outsiders" because it cannot promote fire captains to battalion chiefs without them taking a pay cut;
- The City Council claims they want to hire more firefighters, but "their actions show that they only care about lowering overtime."
Click here to read the full text of the firefighters association's rebuttal.
Next Step: Fact-Finding Hearing
For background on the contract dispute, a full chronicle of the city's communications on the fire department contract negotiations can be found here. A full list of the firefighters' associations statements and rebuttals to the city can be found here.
The next step in this process is a fact-finding hearing scheduled for August 5.
