The report dated June 17 by Norman Harlan of Steubenville says the International Association of Firefighters Local 2150 should get 2.5% pay hikes the first two years and a 2.25% increase in the final year.
“I can’t speak for city council,” Schwieterman said. “But I will say I think they will accept the report.”
Local 2150 represents the vast majority of Kettering firefighters. The department has 82 members, it told the Dayton Daily News earlier this year.
The firefighters union voted this past weekend to accept the report, said attorney Stephen Lazarus, who is representing Local 2150.
Schwieterman said the fact finder report “models what we anticipated” for pay increases. But the most significant disagreements focused on benefits, Lazarus said.
“There were some attempts to increase insurance costs for the employees and I think that’s part of what led to the need to have a third party come in and look things,” he said. “And the recommendation was to keep it as it is.”
The fact finder concluded there should be no change regarding holidays, and medical, dental and life insurance during the life of the deal, records show.
Harlan recommended the agreement run from Dec. 21, 2020, to Dec. 17, 2023. The Local 2150′s contract expired in December, documents state.
“I think this is a report that gives everybody enough that they can live with it,” Lazarus said.
“It wasn’t everything that the union wanted. It wasn’t everything that management wanted. That’s to be expected,” he added.
Three years ago contract talks with Local 2150 also went to a third party. Those discussions resulted in 2.5% wage increases in 2018, 2019 and 2020.
At that time, Local 2150 represented the KFD’s captains. It was later consolidated with the collective bargaining unit representing firefighters, both sides said.
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