Deal in place preventing firefighter layoffs in Hoffman Estates

Hoffman Estates and its fire department union have a handshake deal in place to avoid layoffs.

The two sides met Saturday around 11 a.m. for about 30 minutes at a coffee shop in the village, Mayor William McLeod said. Fire union head Dean Slater confirmed the preliminary pact, which will prevent the threatened six layoffs. The cuts would have also led to the partial elimination of services from one of the village's four ambulances.

The village board on Monday was to vote on a budget which included the layoffs putting pressure on the sides to get a deal done.

"We believe we have an agreement," McLeod said. "As you know it's not totally over til it's totally over and you have something signed."

McLeod said Slater called him to initiate the talks, which had broken off on Wednesday. The fire department has been working without a new contract since last year. Neither Slater or McLeod would provide details of the new agreement. They're meeting Monday morning at village hall to finalize the deal.

There are 93 firefighters represented in by International Association of Firefighters Local No. 2061. A mediator had been brought in to assist in talks, but after the contentious talks the two sides were headed toward arbitration in January.

The village on Thursday went public with the deals they offered the union and the union last week distributed fliers bashing the village and ran ads over the weekend in the Daily Herald claiming Hoffman Estates wouldn't be as safe with fewer firefighters.

The village in June asked the union to trim $400,000 from the fire department's budget or face layoffs, as the village projected a $1.2 million budget deficit in 2010. They asked the public works and police departments' unions for the same concessions or face personnel cuts. The public works union came to an agreement last month.

The police union was threatened with four layoffs. The village and police union signed a contract last year which included 4 percent yearly raises which the village wants to renegotiate. Most village employees, including department heads, won't be getting raises next year. The police union points out that the village has already cut the department, leaving four unfilled positions vacant.

A lack of progress means at Monday's board meeting the village could layoff police officers.

"There's nothing new on the police front," McLeod said.