The board of the Yachats Rural Fire Protection District on Wednesday approved 3.5 percent cost-of-living pay increases for four employees retroactive to Dec. 1.
But anticipated raises for the department’s seven career firefighters couldn’t be approved because they voted to unionize in August and negotiations for the district’s first collective bargaining agreement haven’t begun.
The raises that could be approved Wednesday were for the district’s two administrators, Frankie Petrick and Shelby Knife, and two part-time employees not covered by the union.
Petrick said money from the anticipated raises for the unionized firefighters would be held for when a contract is agreed upon.
Yachats’ firefighters voted to unionize last summer, joining the Newport local of the International Association of Fire Fighters. But the district has yet to hear from the Newport local when it wants to start negotiating and what overall contract issues might be.
“At this date in time I have no indication of a meeting,” Petrick told the board. The board last year authorized Petrick to negotiate for the district with the aid of their attorney.
Petrick said she had heard that Yachats firefighters have met with the Newport chapter’s president, Andy Parker, and that the local had made brief contact with the fire district’s attorney. Parker told YachatsNews.com on Thursday that negotiations could start in February and “I hope it goes well.”
In other business the board:
- Heard that there were 74 responses in October, 31 of which were medical, and 47 responses in November, 20 of which were medical.
- Changed the meeting date of its next board meeting to 10:30 a.m. Thursday, Jan. 31 at the main fire station.
I appreciated the articles on the Fire Department. A great mix of the mechanics of the department and the challenges they face. I don’t know the relationship between the city and the fire department, but I wonder if there are city resources to help them with their technology and outreach efforts.