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Showing posts with label Kevin Pratt. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Kevin Pratt. Show all posts
Tuesday, October 27, 2015
The Lockport firefighters fully support and endorse Anita Mullane.
You may recently have received a political mailer attacking Mrs. Mullane for her vote on the SAFER grant. Some people have mistakenly assumed that mailer was sent by the Lockport Firefighters or their supporters. This is untrue. The mailer, which has no information identifying who sent or paid for it was most likely sent by her Republican opponent Maria Updegraph. This anonymous mailer is not only a political dirty trick but it is illegal under New York State election law.
The truth of the matter is that Anita Mullane made a motion to apply for a SAFER grant that would bring back four fully paid firefighters at no cost to the City. This would have been a great savings for a fiscally stressed City. This motion was defeated 4-3 with Alderman at Large Joe Kibler and Mayor Anne McCaffrey voting against it. The Council then passed the motion to apply for one firefighter position. Anita voted against this as a protest. The application for one position was a blatant political move on the part of the administration to apply for the grant due to public pressure but to do the minimum to positively affect the Fire Department or public safety. The City’s high priced attorneys publicly stated that applying for a grant for four firefighters would hurt the City in its court challenge against the fire fighters union.
The Lockport Firefighters fully support Anita’s position and in no way see her vote as being against the Firefighters. Anita is often left standing alone in support of public safety.
What is more offensive is the nerve of Mrs. Updegraph to attempt to use the firefighters to advance her own political campaign and agenda when she applauded the council vote that abolished five firefighter positions. It is one thing to support a cut but it is utterly tasteless to publicly clap when five people lose their jobs.
The Lockport Firefighters ask you to support Anita Mullane and send the message that illegal political dirty tricks must stop.
-- Kevin W Pratt is president of Lockport Professional Firefighters Association Local 963
Catch up quick
Saturday, June 20, 2015
It’s been an interesting past few weeks for the Lockport administration and its Unions.
A arbitration award that was favorable to the CSEA regarding healthcare issues that the City administration refused to abide by, was resolved, resulting in the City paying back nearly $90,000 owed to CSEA retirees and, going forward, the City will have to reimburse retirees for Medicare Part B, as ordered by the arbitrator, who found the City had broken the collective bargaining agreement.
Also, the City reached agreement with a large group of retired police and firefighters who sued the City over similar healthcare changes. This resolution includes the City paying back nearly $170,000 to retirees, contains a reimbursement program to make people whole for previously bargained for healthcare items.
The AFSCME union reached resolution with the City that returns 4 illegally laid off members back to work. The city will not admit any wrongdoing. The 4 workers receive back pay, are to be paid for any contractual benefits to be made whole and seniority and pension time restored to the layoff date.
The police department’s Hickory Club received a favorable decision and order by PERB that restores all unilaterally changed healthcare benefits and related plans and makes employees whole for any loss due to the city’s change in healthcare benefits.
And the PESH report has been received by the City and Fire Dept. This PESH report confirms a number of issues the Fire Fighter Union has been concerned about.
The overhead door situation was determined to be unsafe. It was never about who pushes the button, it was always about safety.
The PESH report also confirmed what the Fire Fighters union has been saying about 2 in/2 out, an NFPA guideline. First, that the officer in charge and the pump operator don’t count towards 2 in/2 out, and that the remaining men must first complete any outside operations, such as establish water supply, raising ground ladders, ventilation, to name a few and only after those evolutions are complete can Fire Dept. personal enter an Immediately Dangerous to Life and Health (IDLH) area.
This creates a delay in entering a burning building. A delay in Fire Fighters putting the wet stuff on the red stuff. We all know that fire doubles in size each minute. This creates more fire damage, more smoke damage and more water damage.
What we have always maintained is that this level of staffing creates delays that lead to greater loss and damage and a more dangerous working condition for those on the initial scene.
With all of that information being available, maybe it’s time for this open and transparent administration to make available the payments over the past year and a half, that have been made to the various and many attorneys who have been a part of these PERB decisions, settlements and resolutions. I would ask that you include payments to attorneys who handled the police and fire fighters retiree settlement, the numerous CSEA decisions and settlements, such as CSEA retiree healthcare arbitration, CSEA contracting out and the most recent CSEA retiree healthcare settlement, the Hickory Club PERB decision and order, AFSCME lay off settlement, Fire Fighter Union mediation and arbitrations and Brian Doyle, of the credit card fiasco.
I want to point out that Goldberger and Kremer, the City’s high priced labor attorneys, are on payroll while Dave Blackley, the City’s labor attorney continues to be paid $27,000-$28,000 per year.
It seems most if not all of these settlements/resolutions could have been reached at a table, right here in Lockport, months ago. Some of these decisions/ settlements include language that the City immediately commences negotiations with some of its unions. One may wonder if Goldberger and Kremer are attempting to keep their foot in Lockport’s door.
— Kevin W. Pratt is president of Lockport Fighters Local 963
A arbitration award that was favorable to the CSEA regarding healthcare issues that the City administration refused to abide by, was resolved, resulting in the City paying back nearly $90,000 owed to CSEA retirees and, going forward, the City will have to reimburse retirees for Medicare Part B, as ordered by the arbitrator, who found the City had broken the collective bargaining agreement.
Also, the City reached agreement with a large group of retired police and firefighters who sued the City over similar healthcare changes. This resolution includes the City paying back nearly $170,000 to retirees, contains a reimbursement program to make people whole for previously bargained for healthcare items.
The AFSCME union reached resolution with the City that returns 4 illegally laid off members back to work. The city will not admit any wrongdoing. The 4 workers receive back pay, are to be paid for any contractual benefits to be made whole and seniority and pension time restored to the layoff date.
The police department’s Hickory Club received a favorable decision and order by PERB that restores all unilaterally changed healthcare benefits and related plans and makes employees whole for any loss due to the city’s change in healthcare benefits.
And the PESH report has been received by the City and Fire Dept. This PESH report confirms a number of issues the Fire Fighter Union has been concerned about.
The overhead door situation was determined to be unsafe. It was never about who pushes the button, it was always about safety.
The PESH report also confirmed what the Fire Fighters union has been saying about 2 in/2 out, an NFPA guideline. First, that the officer in charge and the pump operator don’t count towards 2 in/2 out, and that the remaining men must first complete any outside operations, such as establish water supply, raising ground ladders, ventilation, to name a few and only after those evolutions are complete can Fire Dept. personal enter an Immediately Dangerous to Life and Health (IDLH) area.
This creates a delay in entering a burning building. A delay in Fire Fighters putting the wet stuff on the red stuff. We all know that fire doubles in size each minute. This creates more fire damage, more smoke damage and more water damage.
What we have always maintained is that this level of staffing creates delays that lead to greater loss and damage and a more dangerous working condition for those on the initial scene.
With all of that information being available, maybe it’s time for this open and transparent administration to make available the payments over the past year and a half, that have been made to the various and many attorneys who have been a part of these PERB decisions, settlements and resolutions. I would ask that you include payments to attorneys who handled the police and fire fighters retiree settlement, the numerous CSEA decisions and settlements, such as CSEA retiree healthcare arbitration, CSEA contracting out and the most recent CSEA retiree healthcare settlement, the Hickory Club PERB decision and order, AFSCME lay off settlement, Fire Fighter Union mediation and arbitrations and Brian Doyle, of the credit card fiasco.
I want to point out that Goldberger and Kremer, the City’s high priced labor attorneys, are on payroll while Dave Blackley, the City’s labor attorney continues to be paid $27,000-$28,000 per year.
It seems most if not all of these settlements/resolutions could have been reached at a table, right here in Lockport, months ago. Some of these decisions/ settlements include language that the City immediately commences negotiations with some of its unions. One may wonder if Goldberger and Kremer are attempting to keep their foot in Lockport’s door.
— Kevin W. Pratt is president of Lockport Fighters Local 963
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Wednesday, October 22, 2014
ENP STAFF REPORTS
news@eastniagarapost.com
The five City of Lockport firefighters laid off by the city's Fire Board Sunday night were sent home with pay today, according to the fire union president.
The layoff was to be effective Nov. 3, according to the Fire Board. The union members being laid off had received notices Monday and Tuesday stating that they were to work through Monday Nov. 3.
Local 963 President Kevin Pratt, however, said, "Today laid off members were sent home, told not to report to work, that they will be paid through Nov. 3."
He said their immediate removal necessitated off-duty firefighters to be called in from work to cover for them.
"Automatic overtime will again be in effect any time there are three members off of work," Pratt said.
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Send an email to news@eastniagarapost.com with "email update" in the subject line.
news@eastniagarapost.com
The layoff was to be effective Nov. 3, according to the Fire Board. The union members being laid off had received notices Monday and Tuesday stating that they were to work through Monday Nov. 3.
Local 963 President Kevin Pratt, however, said, "Today laid off members were sent home, told not to report to work, that they will be paid through Nov. 3."
He said their immediate removal necessitated off-duty firefighters to be called in from work to cover for them.
"Automatic overtime will again be in effect any time there are three members off of work," Pratt said.
Send an email to news@eastniagarapost.com with "email update" in the subject line.
Thursday, October 9, 2014
BY SCOTT LEFFLER
scott.leffler@eastniagarapost.com
Lockport city officials and members of the fire department union have been privately discussing a retirement buyout option for firefighters, Mayor Anne McCaffrey confirmed Wednesday night.
"We do have discussions underway regarding that matter," McCaffrey said.
The retirement buyout plan is unconnected to the nine city positions that were eliminated by the Common Council at a special meeting held Wednesday at City Hall, but it is part of the same puzzle, McCaffrey said, with the goal of bringing the city budget in line.
While the mayor would offer no solid details, Local 963 President Kevin Pratt said that McCaffrey verbally offered a retirement incentive for up to five firefighters at a meeting held on Aug. 28. Pratt said that he wanted the offer in writing.
McCaffrey said Wednesday night that she had sent a letter to the union with an offer and was expecting to send a revised letter to the union soon.
"With my signature on it, it gives him something to bring to his membership," McCaffrey said.
Pratt said this afternoon that the original offer just wasn't good enough and he hopes the revised offer will deal with more of the union's concerns.
Pratt said the mayor's first offer, which he received on Friday, included incentive money, paid healthcare to age 65 for those who took the buyout. In return, the city asked the department's union to drop or waive all ongoing union grievances against the city.
"If she wants all those court action items to go away, the city and the union need to sit down and construct a whole new (collective bargaining agreement)," Pratt said.
The union has been working under a contract that expired Dec. 31, 2012. Under state law, that contract remains valid until a new one is agreed upon, despite the fact that it expired nearly two years ago. Pratt said the letter he received last week was the first offer made in writing since Nov. 2012.
Pratt had said there are men in the department who would likely be willing to take a buyout — if the city makes it financially viable for them. The original offer included up to $30,000 incentive to retire, paid over four to 10 years. The police department got that same $30,000 as a lump sum payment up front, he said.
He had hoped that as many as eight firefighters would be able to take the offer. The city is only offering five, however, he said, adding that if there weren't five who took it, he understands that as many as five more firefighters would be laid off in about two weeks.
There are currently three LFD firefighters laid off and hoping to return to the department. Pratt had hoped that if the city agreed to retirement incentives for eight men, the three that are laid off would be able to return.
"She made it clear that it's only going to be the five," he said. "They're not extending it any further than five."
Both sides referred to situation as an "ongoing negotiation."
If McCaffrey and union leadership can agree on language, any buyout incentive must be approved by union membership and the Common Council.
Get the daily East Niagara Post email update.
Send an email to news@eastniagarapost.com with "email update" in the subject line.
scott.leffler@eastniagarapost.com
"We do have discussions underway regarding that matter," McCaffrey said.
The retirement buyout plan is unconnected to the nine city positions that were eliminated by the Common Council at a special meeting held Wednesday at City Hall, but it is part of the same puzzle, McCaffrey said, with the goal of bringing the city budget in line.
While the mayor would offer no solid details, Local 963 President Kevin Pratt said that McCaffrey verbally offered a retirement incentive for up to five firefighters at a meeting held on Aug. 28. Pratt said that he wanted the offer in writing.
McCaffrey said Wednesday night that she had sent a letter to the union with an offer and was expecting to send a revised letter to the union soon.
"With my signature on it, it gives him something to bring to his membership," McCaffrey said.
Pratt said this afternoon that the original offer just wasn't good enough and he hopes the revised offer will deal with more of the union's concerns.
Pratt said the mayor's first offer, which he received on Friday, included incentive money, paid healthcare to age 65 for those who took the buyout. In return, the city asked the department's union to drop or waive all ongoing union grievances against the city.
"If she wants all those court action items to go away, the city and the union need to sit down and construct a whole new (collective bargaining agreement)," Pratt said.
The union has been working under a contract that expired Dec. 31, 2012. Under state law, that contract remains valid until a new one is agreed upon, despite the fact that it expired nearly two years ago. Pratt said the letter he received last week was the first offer made in writing since Nov. 2012.
Pratt had said there are men in the department who would likely be willing to take a buyout — if the city makes it financially viable for them. The original offer included up to $30,000 incentive to retire, paid over four to 10 years. The police department got that same $30,000 as a lump sum payment up front, he said.
He had hoped that as many as eight firefighters would be able to take the offer. The city is only offering five, however, he said, adding that if there weren't five who took it, he understands that as many as five more firefighters would be laid off in about two weeks.
There are currently three LFD firefighters laid off and hoping to return to the department. Pratt had hoped that if the city agreed to retirement incentives for eight men, the three that are laid off would be able to return.
"She made it clear that it's only going to be the five," he said. "They're not extending it any further than five."
Both sides referred to situation as an "ongoing negotiation."
If McCaffrey and union leadership can agree on language, any buyout incentive must be approved by union membership and the Common Council.
Send an email to news@eastniagarapost.com with "email update" in the subject line.
Saturday, September 13, 2014
As of Monday September 15, 2014 at 0700 hours members of the Lockport Fire Fighters Local 963 will no longer be providing ambulance transports for patients in the City of Lockport.
We oppose these moves being made by elected City officials and the signed contract shows it was not well thought out.
Residents can rest assured the Professional Fire Fighters will continue to provide the best service possible given the cuts in service in both areas of fire and EMS.
After a very quick introduction and handshake with Twin City CEO Bryan Brauner, we both agreed we need to sit down and discuss certain areas of this new working relationship so residents and taxpayers have the best possible care in the timeliest manner, which the people of Lockport have come to expect over the past 40 years.
Bryan and I agree that all of our members are in the business of helping people in their time of need.
If only elected City officials understood what can be accomplished by meeting at the table.
Kevin W. Pratt is president of Lockport Fire Fighters Local 963
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