County to vote on rescinding firefighter provisions in labor act

Sedgwick County commissioners will vote on whether to withdraw from provisions of the Public Employer-Employee Relations Act, a move a firefighters union leader said would end the union’s right to negotiate contracts on behalf of county firefighters.

The vote would rescind a 1979 vote to put the county’s fire district under the provisions of the Public Employer-Employee Relations Act. It would be effective in January 2018.

It’s on the agenda for Wednesday’s meeting for Fire District One, which serves the county’s unincorporated areas and smaller cities. The Sedgwick County Commission doubles as the governing body of the district.

Dave Thompson, president of the International Association of Firefighters Local 2612, said the law provides “avenues in which third-party resolution is done.” The most recent contract for county firefighters was approved after third-party mediation was brought in to try to resolve a months-long impasse over pay for firefighters.

“They (county officials) don’t want to participate in other people resolving their problems,” he said.

“We wouldn’t have a seat at the table with management at all,” Thompson said about the proposal. “There will be no impasses in the future.”

Any public employer has the right under state law to rescind its participation under PEERA, according to county documents.

Commissioner Dave Unruh pointed out that Fire District One is the only fire district of 216 statewide that falls under the law. He says he’s leaning toward voting for the proposal.

“It (PEERA) puts a lot of restrictions on our negotiating for wages and benefits,” Unruh said. “It restricts how flexible we can be in providing fire services for citizens in the fire district.”

“With all those elements in line, we think that we will serve our citizens better forward without the restrictions of PEERA,” Unruh said.

Thompson said he hopes the vote will at least be delayed until a new commission convenes in January. He said his union members and members of other trade unions plan to attend Wednesday morning to protest the proposal.

“I’m pretty sure we’re going to pack the room,” Thompson said.

This story was originally published December 13, 2016 at 7:24 PM with the headline "County to vote on rescinding firefighter provisions in labor act."