St. Charles firefighters union agrees to deal

St. Charles officials are on the verge of settling a months-long rift with the firefighters union.

Aldermen this week reached a tentative compromise with the union over how firefighters are promoted to second-in-command jobs.

The deal allows two assistant chief positions to be decided at the bargaining table, and three battalion chiefs to be appointed by the city.

In August, the union claimed city officials were using "illegal, unethical and anti-union tactics" by giving the fire chief control over hiring assistant chiefs. The union said it had a right to negotiate the promotions.

The situation was remedied after both parties agreed to negotiate two of the city's four assistant chief jobs, Fire Chief Patrick Mullen said.

Two other current assistant chiefs will become battalion chiefs -- a new position in St. Charles. The city also will hire a third battalion chief, sans negotiations. Those positions essentially will be the same as the assistant chief jobs, but with different titles.

A committee of aldermen approved the process Monday, and the full city council is scheduled to vote on it Dec. 17, officials said.

Mullen, who became chief in October, said the union ratified the deal last month.

"It's a voluntary agreement on both sides," he said. "I'm pleased for that."

The promotions dispute is the last unresolved issue from contract negotiations stretching back to April 2006.

Other unspecified disagreements held up negotiations between the city and 45 full-time, union firefighters for more than a year. A three-year contract finally was approved by both sides in June.

"This was kind of the last issue floating around," Mullen said. "Everything else was decided."

Mullen wouldn't say which firefighters he plans to make battalion chiefs or which will become assistant chiefs, citing the pending approval of the city council.