By Khalida Sarwari
Hours after San Jose firefighters scrambled to respond to three early morning fires, members of a firefighters union met to vote on a proposal by the city that would allow for the rehiring of 49 recently laid-off firefighters.
The firefighters union, San Jose Firefighters Local 230, met today to discuss and vote on the city’s offer, which asks for an 8.9 percent cut in total compensation that would amount to a 14 percent pay cut, union spokesman Tom Saggau said.
More than 300 firefighters participated in today’s meeting, and about that many will cast their votes at a second meeting Friday, Saggau said.
Alex Gurza, the San Jose director of employee relations, released a statement today saying that if the union approves the city’s proposal, the city would rehire the 49 firefighters.
The city has said it was forced to lay off the firefighters after negotiations between the city and union stalled and a proposal put forward by the union failed to achieve the city’s cost-cutting goals.
The union has offered to take a 5.25 percent wage reduction and to accept increased health care co-pays and premiums and other health care coverage reductions, Saggau said.
It was the same reduction package offered by San Jose’s police union, which was accepted by the city.
The union today also discussed a measure the City Council voted to put on the November ballot allowing the city more flexibility in negotiating union contracts.
The measure would allow voters to approve a charter change to reform the arbitration process that currently dictates how the city is allowed to negotiate with police and fire unions.
Saggau said members formulated campaign strategies to fight the measure and also addressed the negative portrayal of firefighters and ways to improve their image.
“We’re going to be very vigorous and proactive on people’s doors to deliver a message from firefighters,” Saggau said. “At the end of the day, sworn firefighters will trump the pencil-pushing bureaucrats at City Hall.”
Members of the union will hold a news conference Friday morning to discuss the fire department’s response to three early morning residential fires that destroyed two homes, killed two dogs and caused $1 million in damage to an asphalt plant. They will also address a 40-acre vegetation fire that broke out this afternoon in the Santa Teresa Foothills.
Saggau said that on any given day, nearly 13 percent of the department’s firefighting capacity is depleted as a result of the layoffs, the elimination of five fire companies, and the closure of one station.
“Today is what we were worried about,” Saggau said. “The three fires today left an entire side of the city without any fire personnel, and it’s a shame.”