City of Elgin, fire union reach early pact

Elgin fire union members have reached a tentative agreement with the city to save about $850,000 while at the same time not sending any firefighters to the unemployment line.

Under the pact, which was announced Friday afternoon but must still get the OK from union members and the city council, the department will reduce its minimum staffing levels from 36 to 34 firefighters.

That will save about $750,000 a year in overtime and no firefighters will be laid off.

"We're comfortable it's a good deal with the city, a good deal for the firefighters. It gives the city an opportunity to make the savings they claim they need," union president John Fahy said. "These are positions that are being filled with overtime at the moment. There's no doubt we're in difficult economic times. We agreed to cut basically six spots, two per (eight-hour) shift."

Fahy said the city also will receive $100,000 from the Foreign Fire Insurance Fund. That fund is replenished by a special tax imposed on out-of-state insurance companies that do business in Illinois.

Money from the fund is typically used for training and equipment purchases.

The personnel move translates to nearly 6 percent fewer firefighters being on duty at any given time.

"We'll have to adjust our operations accordingly," Fire Chief Jack Henrici said. "I really don't have any comment until it's ratified."

Ratification could be complete by Wednesday.

Three shifts of the 127 members of the Local No. 439 International Association of Firefighters will vote Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday before the city council tackles the matter later that night.

A simple majority vote is needed from the union and council.

The agreement expires Jan. 1, 2011, when the union's current deal ends.

Phone messages left with Mayor Ed Schock were not immediately returned.

"I want to thank the fire union for negotiating in good faith with the city to achieve cost reductions in fire department operations," City Manager Sean Stegall said in a prepared statement Friday. "I know I can count on the men and women of the Elgin Fire Department to be as committed to the principles and values of cost reduction as they are to keeping the public safe."

The city has said $1.5 million in cost savings needs to be realized by the department. Officials also are considering having the department directly monitor alarms and charging local companies a fee.