Carpentersville firefighters union seeking arbitrator in disputed layoffs

Amid contract negotiations with the village, the Carpentersville firefighters union is asking an arbitrator to negotiate the layoffs of two full-time firefighters.

The layoffs took effect Friday, but the union filed a grievance last month after they were announced, claiming the move violated the current contract, which expires at the end of the month, said Rick Nieves, president of the Carpentersville Professional Firefighters Union.

But the union and the village disagree vehemently on the circumstances that resulted in the layoffs, mainly centering on cost savings.

In 2014, the union and village signed a "side letter" agreeing to a swing shift, which moves firefighters from normal to short-staffed shifts. The agreement called for village not to lay off any firefighters during the duration of the contract, as long as the swing shift structure saved $75,000 annually.

"It's the village's position to end our side letter because the savings that were promised did not materialize," Village Manager J. Mark Rooney said.

Nieves said the swing shift did reduce overtime costs by $75,000, but the village used the additional funds ineffectively, "not at the fault of the union."

He also argued the layoffs wouldn't result in significant cost savings, as the village would have to pay overtime costs and part-timers to make up for the loss.

"We strongly feel that these layoffs are not really necessary and are against the agreement we had with them this last time around," Nieves said. "We don't feel there's a true bona fide economic problem."

The two parties were unable to come to a resolution during negotiations, Nieves said, and the union is requesting a third party to settle the dispute.

Rooney said he made an offer during contract negotiations to postpone the layoffs until the end of negotiations, but it was rejected by the union.

"If we didn't find the savings, (layoffs) could've still happened," Rooney said. "But it wouldn't have to happen until that point in time when we concluded those negotiations."

Nieves said the union never received a formal offer to stave off the layoffs. Instead, he said, Rooney indicated he would rescind the layoffs if the union paid the full salaries and benefits for the two firefighters. Rooney denied such an offer was ever made.

Contradicting statements from both parties don't end there.

Nieves claimed the fire department is the only unit in the village experiencing layoffs, while Rooney says cuts are being made across several other departments. Nieves says the two firefighter layoffs would save only $20,000 per year, and Rooney argues it'll result in about $100,000 in net savings.

Rooney said the union linked negotiations about the layoffs to an unrelated issue: Allowing firefighters to wear shorts while on duty. Nieves said the union always handled the two issues separately.

Now, Nieves said, arbitration is the union's last chance to restore the firefighters' jobs.

"I'm hoping at some point in the near future (the village will) still rescind the layoffs and we can come together," Nieves said. "Losing two guys is an unfortunate situation, not only for the community but also for the guys and their families."