Rumors are circulating around City Hall that the local
firefighter’s union is planning a no-confidence vote in their
chief. Yet, several council members said it would not sway their
opinion of him.
Rumors are circulating around City Hall that the local firefighter’s union is planning a no-confidence vote in their chief. Yet, several council members said it would not sway their opinion of him.
Gilroy City Council members this week said they were aware of rumors that Fire Fighters Local 2805 planned to hold a vote on Fire Chief Dale Foster, but they had not heard anything directly from union officials or firefighters themselves.
“To me, it’s nonsense,” Councilman Perry Woodward said of a possible vote. “It causes me to question how rational the union would be. It seems like they’re lashing out.”
Jim Buessing, the fire union’s secretary and treasurer, said he could not discuss internal matters, such as union votes, unless members make that information public.
“Our union business is our union business,” he said.
Mark Ordaz, the fire union’s vice president, could not be reached for comment Thursday. However, Ordaz said Sunday that many firefighters did not feel that Foster was doing enough to advocate for firefighters and that the fire administration had grossly underestimated the budget.
Union members have become increasingly vocal during the past week after the city announced it would close the Sunrise Fire Station, 880 Sunrise Drive, on days when there are not enough firefighters to staff the city’s other two stations. Under a union agreement, Gilroy’s Chestnut and Las Animas fire stations must maintain at least four people per engine at all times.
The firefighter shortages primarily stem from furloughs that were negotiated between the city and the fire union when the city was trying to shore up a multi-million dollar budget deficit this summer.
City officials have pointed out that Gilroy and San Jose are the only cities in Santa Clara County that have such a mandate, but firefighters say the four-person requirement is a safety matter as the Gilroy Fire Department is small and in a remote area.
Last week, union members distributed fliers in northwest Gilroy that featured the union’s Web site and stated the Sunrise station was closing. The Web site gave more specifics about the “brownout” days. This week, they began distributing fliers that stated that the fire station would be closed for 20 of the next 30 days.
Foster was out of town at a conference Thursday and could not be reached for comment.
Capt. Ed Bozzo of Gilroy Fire Department said he was not aware of an upcoming union vote.
“We hear rumors all the time,” he said.
However, Mayor Al Pinheiro, who had heard the rumors, said Foster is in a difficult position, as he must advocate for his staff but also serve the city official.
Foster has fought strongly for the firefighters, he said, but the city has a limited budget, so council members must make difficult decisions.
“He comes from the same fabric as these gentlemen who want to give him a vote of no confidence,” Pinheiro said. “That’s what’s surprising.”
Woodward said he could understand it if union members were upset with the City Council over the brownouts. Although he would disagree with them. However, he did not understand why the fire union would target Foster.
Councilman Bob Dillon said he had heard about a proposed no-confidence vote, but he did not think much of the idea. He noted that Jim Laizure, for whom the Gilroy Police Department is named, also received a no-confidence vote when he was police chief.
“These things things have little effect,” he said.
