Fire union, city
seek outside help
A dispute over contracted raises will go to binding arbitration.
AUBURN – City and fire union officials will argue their labor dispute before a state arbitrator on Tuesday.
Fire Union President Mike Scott hopes to have the city’s contract settled in March.
“The arbitrator has 30 days to come up with a decision, but we hope to have something settled sooner,” Scott said.
Neither side was willing to talk about their chances or to predict an outcome.
“Right now, we’re just getting prepared for the case,” Scott said. “Each side has a lawyer present their side and the arbitrator will decide if it’s valid or not.”
The arbitration is binding, Scott said. That means both the city and the union would abide by the decision.
The union claims the city reneged on a February 2003 contract that gave firefighters a 2 percent raise. The raise was scheduled to take effect on July 1, but the city reopened the contract, seeking to delay the raise. City officials claim the contract gives them the right to reopen the contract. Firefighters disagree.
The union filed a complaint with the Maine Labor Relations Board and a grievance with the city in August.
Auburn has settled two of the four labor disputes that began last summer. The city signed a deal with the Public Works union in October. That contract gives employees a 3 percent raise each year for the next three years and an additional week’s pay in 2005, and changes their health insurance plan. Police commanders inked a similar deal in December.
Eight members of the city’s police patrol union are appealing discipline leveled against them for their roles in the Aug. 4 OUI arrest of Mayor Norm Guay. The city has not yet signed a labor deal with them.
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