Gilroy’s City Council will have a special closed-session meeting
this evening to discuss unspecified aspects of contract
negotiations with police and fire unions.
Gilroy’s City Council will have a special closed-session meeting this evening to discuss unspecified aspects of contract negotiations with police and fire unions.
“We’d like to try to put some of this stuff to bed,” Councilman Craig Gartman said. “Both (the police and fire unions) have given us proposals, and we’d like to talk about it.”
The Gilroy Police Officers Association is in the beginning stages of contract negotiations with the City of Gilroy as its contract is set to expire in June, Gartman said. Meanwhile, International Association of Fire Fighters Local 2805, which represents Gilroy firefighters, have been in ongoing talks about staffing ratios since November and about budget concessions since February.
The fire union has been at odds with City Council members over the current mandate to maintain four firefighters per engine, which most council members hope to lower to three firefighters per engine. In addition, the city has asked that Local 2805 continue to implement budget concessions – namely furlough days – that it agreed to for fiscal year 2009-10 for the upcoming fiscal year.
Talks often have been contentious, with a City Council-approved statement in March accusing Local 2805 of using “stall tactics.” Local 2805 members have said firefighters want more information on next year’s budget situation before agreeing to further concessions.
Union representatives also met with City Administrator Tom Haglund and City Human Resources Director LeeAnn McPhillips on Friday.
Jim Buessing, secretary and treasurer for Local 2805, said today that he could not comment on what may have prompted tonight’s special meeting, which was announced Monday. In addition, he would not comment on the meeting between Local 2805 officials and city officials on Friday.
“It’s difficult times right now, and we’re trying to get things worked out,” he said.
McPhillips also would not disclose the reason for the special meeting.
“I am not able to discuss any details, but at times we call a special meeting to keep the negotiations process moving forward,” she wrote in an e-mail.
The closed session is being called while Councilman Perry Woodward is on vacation. Woodward plans to participate in the meeting via teleconference from Cabo San Lucas in Mexico. He said today that he did not know why the city decided to hold a special meeting, but he wanted to participate because he believes negotiations with public safety is an important subject.
As with any closed session, the City Council must announce any action that it takes. However, Gartman said he did not anticipate any announcements to come out of tonight’s meeting, as negotiations with the fire union are ongoing and talks with the police union are just getting started.
