By Brian C. Louwers
C & G Staff Writer

WARREN — “Insulted” by the city’s latest proposal after five months of “unfruitful meetings” with city negotiators, Warren firefighters’ union leaders announced they’d seek the assistance of a state-appointed mediator in an attempt to transcend what has become a contract impasse.

In a written statement sent to members of the media and the Warren City Council on Aug. 19 through their attorney, Michael L. O’Hearon, Scott Halleck, president of the Warren Professional Firefighters Local 1383 and Kurt Reppenhagen, the union’s bargaining chairperson, addressed the city’s latest proposal and announced their intentions to seek mediation, and if necessary, binding arbitration.

“After more than five months of unfruitful meetings with city negotiators, the Warren Professional Firefighters Union Local 1383 has decided to seek the assistance of a state-appointed mediator in hopes of making progress toward a new contract,” the statement read. “After making considerable concessions from its original bargaining positions, the union was insulted by a proposal offered by the city today, which reflected no significant movement on the city’s part.”

At issue, according to the statement and through Halleck directly, was the lack of provisions for a wage increase in 2009 — the union maintains that firefighters have not received a pay raise since 2003 — and “dramatic” healthcare benefit cuts for both current and retired firefighters.

The statement also referenced Mayor Jim Fouts’ pledge to restore EMS transport through the Warren Fire Department. The service was eliminated by the city and outsourced by former Mayor Mark Steenbergh in 2004. The move came near the end of ugly and protracted contract negotiations between members of the union and Steenbergh’s administration that ultimately resulted in layoffs, controversy, and what Fouts — as a member of the City Council and now, as mayor —called “bombastic statements” from City Hall.

During last year’s mayoral campaign, Fouts pledged to restore EMS transport through the Warren Fire Department. He reaffirmed that pledge shortly after firefighters announced their intention to file for arbitration, going against language in their statement that questioned why the restoration of EMS transport wasn’t part of the city’s latest proposal that was rejected by the union on Aug. 19.

“I don’t get involved in the negotiations. That’s done through my team, which includes [City Controller Rick] Fox and [Labor Relations Director] George Constance,” Fouts said. “I have given them directives. The directive that’s high priority, number one, is the restoration of EMS transport.”

Fouts said he also directed the city’s team to negotiate respectfully with the union, the end result being an agreement that’s fair and equitable for the city’s taxpayers, and the firefighters.

“My first priority has to be to the taxpayers of the city. We don’t have any room for waste within any department,” Fouts said. “I respect the firefighters. I think the restoration of the EMS unit is the highest priority. I want a settlement that will include that. I will not be satisfied unless we have that.”

Halleck said there is still time to avoid arbitration, not to mention renewed bad blood between the union and the administration that existed four years ago.

In 2004, the Steenbergh administration cut 35 firefighter positions from the 2004-2005 budget when it stopped EMS transport through the Warren Fire Department, reducing manpower from 174 to 133 full-time firefighters.

The union later filed an unfair labor practices complaint in Macomb County Circuit Court. The matter was eventually settled after Circuit Court Judge Peter Maceroni stepped in to mediate the dispute, and the union, the administration and the members of the Warren City Council signed off on a deal that saved 10 union jobs in the Fire Department and offered the union protection from further layoffs in 2005 and 2006.

In return, the union gave up a 4-percent pay increase in 2004, and additional raises in 2005 and 2006. The deal also included higher costs for prescription drugs for union members.

More jobs were restored later, Halleck said, but the department’s numbers have since been reduced through retirees whose positions have gone unfilled.

“We’ve been trying to be cooperative with them. This can all be avoided still. It’s not too late,” Halleck said. “It is getting to the point where we had to file for mediation today [Aug. 19].They just keep coming back time and time again with the same adversarial attitude.”

Halleck said firefighters had not seen pay increases in five years and that aging equipment and personnel cuts were taking a toll on the department’s capabilities.

“We’re down to 120 guys. Out there in the stations, we’re right there at the bare minimum to run the trucks and to run the trucks safely,” Halleck said. “Our average age of the firefighters out there doing the work is 45 years old. And, our [number of] runs keeps getting higher.”

You can reach Staff Writer Brian C. Louwers at brianlouwers@candgnews.com or at (586) 498-1089.