House Passes Legislation Improving FIRE Act/SAFER Grant Programs
November 18, 2009 – By a vote of 395-31, on November 18, the U.S. House of Representatives passed H.R. 3791, the FIRE Grants Reauthorization Act of 2009. The bill makes improvements to both the Assistance to Fire Fighters (FIRE Act) and Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) grant programs that will significantly benefit professional fire departments in the United States.
The House also adopted the Firefighter Fatality Reduction Act as an amendment to H.R. 3791. The amendment, offered by Representative Ed Permutter (D-CO) promotes fire department compliance with industry consensus standards — a top IAFF priority. The amendment passed by a vote of 358-75.
“Reauthorizing the FIRE Act and SAFER and enacting the Perlmutter amendment are of critical importance to protecting the health and safety of IAFF members,” says IAFF General President Harold Schaitberger. “Passing both through the House brings us one step closer to ensuring our nation’s professional fire departments have the tools and support they need to protect public safety.”
H.R. 3791 would make important changes to the way FIRE Act grants are awarded to the benefit of professional fire departments. Specifically, the bill would significantly increase the amount of funding for which larger departments may apply, and reduce the local match from 20 percent to 10 percent. The proposal also allows the match to be waived for communities facing financial hardship, and eliminates the local match entirely for departments applying for a fire prevention grant.
Perhaps most importantly, the bill also guarantees professional and combination fire departments a minimum percentage of funding under the FIRE Act. To date, professional departments have enjoyed no such guarantee and have been significantly shortchanged in FIRE Act grants awards.
The bill also simplifies the rules governing SAFER, making it significantly easier for municipalities to commit to a SAFER grant. Amendments include shortening the grant period from five to three years, implementing an across-the-board 20 percent local match, and eliminating the current funding cap. It also makes permanent the temporary authorities enacted by the IAFF to waive the SAFER local match and other restrictions.
The U.S. Senate is currently working to craft companion legislation, which it is expected to consider before the new year.
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We mourn the loss of our Brother Russ Constantino from Gurnee Local #3598
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MDA Pass the Boot Drive – 2009
WOW!! Way to go Waukegan Firefighters! L473 along with the Fire department & Waukegan Retired Firefighters totalled 37 volunteers to raise a grand total of $19,600!!!!!
I echo my thanks to ALL the volunteers & on-duty personnel that helped make this event so successful. We toiled through the constant rain to make this event happen.
Special thanks to Chief Young, Kevin Heintz, Chad Gonwa, Dave Freeman, Ryan Koncki, & Greg Zahn for all their help with coordinating this great event. Our public relations did not go in vain. Several donators mentioned the ads in the paper and the radio announcements.
Stay tuned to WGN this Monday between 5:30 & 6:30 for the Jerry Lewis telethon. Myself and Ryan Koncki will be presenting our check that includes the golf outing monies to the MDA. The total will not include Starbucks donation because they haven’t finished processing all the paperwork. I believe the check will be in the range of $28,000.
Thank You everyone!!! This was a fantastic event!
FF/PM Lauralea Thomas
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Waukegan firefighter earns Medal of Valor
May 14, 2009 By KENDRICK MARSHALL (Waukegan News Sun)
Waukegan Fire Capt. Michael Scholle will never forget Nov. 21, 2008.
That was the day the 18-year veteran responded to a house fire at 737 S. Fulton Ave.
It was because of Scholle’s heroic actions that Asia Reed will celebrate her 20th birthday this year.
Today, Scholle will receive the Medal of Valor award at the 16th annual Illinois Fallen Firefighter Memorial and Firefighter Medal of Honor awards ceremony in Springfield. “I got into this business not to win awards, but to help people,” Scholle said, who found out he was getting the award March 24. “But I do appreciate the honor.”
Shortly after receiving the 9-1-1 call just after 6 a.m. on Nov. 21, Scholle and a group of other firefighters were informed by Reed’s father, Monroe Dunlap, that his daughter was trapped inside the burning home.
Scholle made his way through the heavy smoke and flames to the woman’s bedroom where he found her unconscious.
He then picked up Reed and guided her through the bedroom window to paramedics outside. She was quickly rushed to Advocate Lutheran General in Park Ridge. She was later transferred to Loyola University Medical Center in Maywood to be treated for smoke inhalation.
In the days after the fire, Reed spent time receiving oxygen treatments in the intensive care unit before being released from the hospital.
Dunlap, 66, underwent skin graft procedures after he was badly burned in the fire attempting to save his daughter. He then was transferred to the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in North Chicago to continue his recovery.
While Scholle might be receiving an award for his individual effort, he knows Reed probably would not have survive if not for the extraordinary work by the entire rescue crew that day.
“Even though I am getting the credit for the rescue, it was a total team effort,” he said. “If we all didn’t do our jobs or something went wrong, I don’t think we would have saved her. That is what we train for and the training paid off that day.”
Unfortunately Scholle has not spoken with or met Reed since the fire, but is happy to hear the young woman is now out of the hospital and doing well.
“She can stop by anytime and visit,” he said. “I would be glad to see her.”
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Gallagher Resigns as Chief of the Department!
While sitting in the day room, all the Chief’s gathered for our morning shift meeting. Gallagher sat down at the table and stated that he is resigning as Fire Chief and that Deputy Chief Dan Young has been chosen by Mayor Hyde to be the new Fire Chief, effective immediately. Since then, Deputy Chief Orusa has been assigned as Captain of the Training Division and Captain Dan Wright was named Deputy Chief. Captain Mike Scholle, who was the training captain, has been moved to B-Shift Captain. Congratulations Brother Mike.
Lake County News Sun
September 12, 2008
BY KENDRICK MARSHALL kmarshall@scn1.com
WAUKEGAN–Waukegan Fire Chief Patrick Gallagher is stepping down, city officials confirmed Friday. Gallagher, who has served in some capacity with the Waukegan Fire Department since 1984, submitted a letter of resignation to Mayor Richard Hyde Tuesday.
Waukegan Fire Chief Patrick Gallagher resigned Tuesday.
(News-Sun file)
He is expected to remain in the department as captain. Current Waukegan Fire Deputy Dan Young has been named as Gallagher’s replacement. Hyde, who said Gallagher did not give a specific reason for stepping down, was supportive of the decision. “Patrick was a good firefighter and fire chief,” he said. “I don’t know why he decided to make this move. Maybe he had enough.”
“There were no problems at all with him,” Hyde said. “We had a good relationship. He was great for so long. I wish him the best.” Young said he was surprised that his colleague decided to resign from his post after seven years as fire chief. “I was shocked when Mayor Hyde told me that Patrick was resigning,” Young said. “He was a very capable chief.” Gallagher, at home recovering from minor surgery for an undisclosed medical matter, could not be reached for comment.
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Waukegan Firefighter’s Pension Board Wins Lawsuit
As many of you know, our Chief Gallagher initiated a lawsuit against the Firefighter’s Pension Board several years ago in reaction to a disability pension granted to a Lieutenant whom he had fired. That Lt. won his job back in court and the incident prompted the resolution from L473 and subsequent HB1553 which passed and prevents Chiefs from firing firefighters who have applied for disability. Initially, 4 of the 5 charges were dismissed and a synopsis was published on the AFFI website. On April22, 2008, the court dismissed the 5th and final charge, ending a baseless 2 year rant and a hemorrhaging flow of taxpayer money in the hundreds of thousands of dollars. Our pension board is vindicated and, as with the recent propaganda from the IML, the state needs to know the truth. Baseless charges and accusations will be confronted and the outcomes should and will overshadow the damage done to our reputations.
Read the order by clicking the pdf below.
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| Illinois Fire Fighter Elected to Village Board of Trustees
May 21, 2007 – A Waukegan, IL Local 473 fire fighter is one of three new faces on the Antioch Village Board of Trustees. Michael Wolczyz was sworn in and began serving his first four-year term May 7, 2007. “Antioch is a growing community,” says Wolczyz. “As a citizen here, I wanted to have a say in how to improve public safety and plan future commercial development.” One of the major factors that helped Wolczyz get elected was the support from his fellow Local 473 members who campaigned door-to-door, sent mailers and attended public events. Seven candidates ran for the three open seats. Those with the top three votes were elected. The three winners won roughly 55 percent of the 8,036 votes casts. |
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“Houston, we have a problem”
Waukegan city counsel Alderman’s Time 05-22-06 - John Balen Aderman 2nd Ward
In the words of the astronauts “Houston, we have a problem”, so too does the City of Waukegan.
There comes a time when a man has to do what a man has to do and sometimes it isn’t pleasant when you have to take your favorite son to the woodshed to send a message.
In this case it’s The field of Union Management relations where in the private sector disagreement is done behind closed doors before issues come before the public’s attention. But in the public sector, the tax paying public has a right to know what is occurring in his house since his hard earned dollar is what keeps the governance machinery running. Since no product is sold except service, it is incumbent that the close cooperation and respect in its units is required to fulfill the mission placed into hands of those elected to guide the destiny of their community.
As one who has grown up in the role of unionism in our lives, I take seriously the approach the leadership of unions in our city takes towards the management of the operations of City departments as conducted by those appointed department heads, however, it has become evident in the Fire Department that the leadership of FF Local 473 has taken upon itself to harass the City’s appointed leadership and to question decisions rendered to maintain respect, discipline, effectiveness and unity. Fire staff who disregard orders and challenge the will and wishes of the Councils mission to provide Waukegan the best fire service in Lake County which is diminished with confrontations within the department by misguided malcontents whose agenda is to create havoc by micro-managing through activities of unnecessary grievances and public activities to embarrass the appointed leadership at parties supported by Union leadership. It is unfortunate that personal dislikes and distrusts pollute the atmosphere in the Fire Department.
Having spent a lifetime growing up in depression days when Unions fought desperately to bring dignity, respect and fair wages to the workplace at the price of sit down strikes at Fansteel, Chicago Hardware Foundry and elsewhere in the country. Being tear gassed by our Lake County Sheriff Department, I hold this noble cause of working people to be used in a manner that enhances it’s worthiness to the human person and not as FF 473 leadership loses it’s mission of a responsible Union in the City of Waukegan. Unfortunately the noble cause of the department in Rescue and Life Saving services, which most of the Firemen take pride, is compromised by the few who have decided to become children instead of men in the honorable role of dedicated service to their City. Workers in the private sector would give their right arm for the opportunity to be a City employee under the conditions of the Union agreement.
Having gone through 123, 56,45, and 30 day strikes to bring dignity, this sacrifice was the price we paid to give future workers the benefits they now receive such as our Fire Fighters with early retirements of 20 years at age 50 with guaranteed pensions and yearly 3% increases, disability pensions of 65% with no Federal taxes and complete health care for life, and 75% of salary for 30 years of service. The American workers must look on with envy at the conditions granted Fire Fighters, not only by contract but by enacted laws to protect them and their retirement, the cost of which to the tax paying public is astronomical and to the American workers unbelievable.
Because I believe deeply in the role of Unionism to human dignity, the use of the Union by current leadership is an insult to the purpose of Unions and an embarrassment to me personally. Its time for the boys to awaken and become men of stature instead of children of stupidity. Be assured there will be consequences if the present conditions and attitude persist.
I ask the Mayor to have the Labor Relations Committee for a showdown with the leaders of FF473 Union to address this problem. Waukegan doesn’t deserve this attitude of confrontation and personal vendettas.
John Balen Aderman 2nd Ward
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Lynch v The City of Waukegan
APPELLATE COURT OF ILLINOIS
SECOND DISTRICT
The City has spent over $140,000 to keep Lt. Lynch terminated based upon
Chief Gallagher’s recommendation.
Plaintiff argues that (1) the Commission erred in adjudicating the disciplinary charges against him while his claim for a disability pension was pending; (2) the Commission erroneously admitted hearsay; (3) the Commission wrongfully called plaintiff as a witness; (4) the City failed to prove the charges against plaintiff; and (5) the Commission’s decision to discharge plaintiff was erroneous under Walsh v. Board of Fire & Police Commissioners, 96 Ill. 2d 101 (1983), because the discharge threatens plaintiff’s disability pension. The last argument is dispositive, so we address it first. The issue of how plaintiff’s discharge will affect his pension rights is a question of law that we review de novo. City of Belvidere, 181 Ill. 2d at 205.
In Walsh, the supreme court reversed the board’s decision and remanded for further proceedings, observing that, if the evidence revealed no grounds for discipline independent of the misconduct caused by the plaintiff’s psychiatric disorder, then discharge for cause would be an inappropriate discipline and some lesser sanction should be imposed instead. Here there are no adequate grounds for plaintiff’s discharge independent of the cognitive disorder upon which his pension was based. Therefore, the Commission’s decision to discharge plaintiff for cause is clearly erroneous, and we reverse it. Consistent with Walsh, we remand for further proceedings to determine whether a lesser sanction might be appropriate, though we express no opinion on what that sanction might be, given that plaintiff is now on a disability pension.
Having found this issue dispositive, we not address the remainder of plaintiff’s arguments.
CONCLUSION
For the foregoing reasons, we reverse the circuit court’s affirmance of the Commission’s decision discharging plaintiff for cause and remand this cause for further proceedings consistent with this disposition.
Reversed and remanded for further proceedings.
BOWMAN and GILLERAN JOHNSON, JJ., concur.
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Brothers and Sisters, This is simply meant as a reminder:
“Abuse” of sick time is punishable ! “
It seems that there exists some confusion regarding your contractual sick time benefit with the City of Waukegan, as part of your wage package.
* The contract affords you 12 hours of sick time per month of employment.
* It allows you to save up to 900 hours in a “bank” which can be used when necessary.
* This job is both physical and exposes you regularly to others who are ill.
* You also share quarters with coworkers for 24 hours at a time.
* The contract states that you can use your sick time for 5 different reasons
1 personal illness,
2 medical, dental, or optical appointments,
3 enforced quarantine,
4 sickness in the immediate family,
5 injuries
Abuse” of sick time is punishable and can only occur by one method: you use sick time for a reason OTHER THAN these 5 criteria.
“Abuse” does not mean using more than 6 days per year, nor does it mean using “a lot” of days. You have exactly as many hours as you have. IE.. .(in your “bank”)
There is no way to interpret the contract to state anywhere that you are not allowed to get sick while on kelly or vacation.
Of course, it is up to personal preference on how frugal you may be with your “bank”, as all of us have different pain thresholds, immune systems, and levels of personal courtesy. Likewise, none of us know, what we may need to saved for the future. It is an important consideration that we all face when one of these 5 criteria arise.
I can tell you, after calculating the time used in the first 2/3 of this fiscal year and prorating it to May 2006, that we will have averaged only 2.3 sick days used per shift employee at the end of this year.
Enough said. Please let me know if you have any questions.
Thanks.
Jon Nordgren
President, Local 473
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City Reversed Position
In the last paycheck, the City reversed their position on union dues and refunded all dues taken out of Lieutenants’ checks. No more will be deducted until authorization cards have been turned in. This is in contrast to the Mayor’s letter in October stating that Union dues will be deducted. The matter of changing the Lieutenants’ insurance premium benefit while negotiating still remains and there is a hearing date before the Law Judge on Feb. 14 and 15, 2006. In the meantime, PLEASE save your stubs from October forward. It will make calculating your illegal premium deductions and the accrued interest even easier to calculate when it’s over. As always, if anyone would like to donate to the Local during this time, they can do so by calling Brother Jack Long.
We’ll keep you posted. 11/18/2005
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Compulsory Interest Arbitration
The Local has filed a demand for compulsory interest arbitration regarding the lieutenants’ contract. This is separate from the Unfair Labor Practice. Interest Arbitration involves a third party in our negotiations to resolve our negotiation dispute(s); namely that the City is obligated to negotiate the Lts.’ insurance premiums along with the rest of their wages, hours and working conditions. The ULP addresses the unauthorized extraction of dues, and the changes from the previous premium benefit, while negotiating.
We’ll keep you posted. 11/06/2005
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Illinois Labor Relations Board to ”Fast Track” the ULP
The Local has successfully persuaded the Labor Board to “fast track” the ULP regarding the unauthorized garnishment of the Lieutenants’ paychecks. The ILRB complaint is due November 7 with a hearing as early as the beginning of December. This response is very positive as the impact of the City’s action has directed the Board’s early attention to this matter.
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On October 12, 2005, the Local 473 Negotiation Team
On October 12, 2005, the Local 473 Negotiation Team met with the City’s team to further negotiations of the Lieutenant’s contract. A federal mediator was also present on joint request. The Union’s position was clear: we are not asking for anything, just what already exists plus the usual non-economic components of a contract including grievances and a termination date of the contract. The City’s position is this: Free insurance is for managers who do not belong to a labor union. Since the Lieutenants joined a union, they no longer receive this benefit. Lieutenants are now expected to do the same job in the same way for less money (roughly 4% less) because they are union. Free insurance is payment for staying out of a labor union. If you join, you don’t get the bribe.
We all know this is insanely wrong and will be corrected. This violates the FLSA in numerous ways. Here’s just one:
(j) Arbitration procedures shall be deemed to be initiated by the filing of a letter requesting mediation as required under subsection (a) of this Section.
(l) During the pendency of proceedings before the arbitration panel, existing wages, hours, and other conditions of employment shall not be changed by action of either party without the consent of the other but a party may so consent without prejudice to his rights or position under this Act. The proceedings are deemed to be pending before the arbitration panel upon the initiation of arbitration procedures under this Act.
Further legal action is underway as of today regarding a forthcoming letter that will solidify the City’s intention to garnish your wages. As we proceed, we will keep you up to date and ask that you continue to voice your concerns to friends or acquaintances who may be interested in this type of insurrection.
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Letter to the Lieutenants
Two days after the first meeting with the City to negotiate the Lieutenants new contract, Mayor Hyde sent a letter to the Lieutenants stating that they would now be responsible for their own Union dues and that they would pay for a portion of their historically free insurance premiums. This was being done, the letter states, because of their certification and inclusion in local 473. Obviously, several things are wrong with such a letter including:
- There had been only one negotiation meeting and impasse had not been declared. Further, during an exchange of proposals, it was mutually agreed that there were no Lt. Provisions within the current contract making inclusion impossible without some form of ratification.
- All current wages, benefits, and working conditions for Lieutenants are subjects of bargaining, of which there has not been any.
- Such a deduction violates the Fair Labor Standards Act Sections 10 (a) (1) and (2), as does the stated motivation for doing so.
. Therefore, several actions have been taken by your Local:
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- Obviously, a change in working conditions and benefits during negotiations is a sign of bad faith in bargaining, causing all of the previously agreed ground rules for negotiation to likely be forfeited, unfortunately and prematurely eroding the chances for a fair negotiation relationship.
- It is also an Unfair Labor Practice, along with not alerting the Union of such a change in advance. A ULP was filed immediately against the Mayor of Waukegan.
- An immediate joint request for Mediation was filed with the FMCS and the ILRB, effectively protecting the current wages and benefits.
- Any monies deducted from paychecks for either insurance or union dues (actually the sole responsibility of the Union, not the City) will be won back with interest and can potentially open the City to a law suit involving unauthorized wage garnishment.
Hang in there, Brothers and Sisters, and know that Local 473 is doing everything in our power to protect our members from these and any other aggressive actions against our members.
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Lieutenants petition for representation
On the day before the hearing with the Illinois labor Board, the City cut its’ losses and withdrew their challenge to the Lieutenants representation by Local 473. I’m not sure how many thousands it cost the City of Waukegan to employ a law firm for a couple months in order to question a protected right like organizing and then to scrap it, but the important thing is the WFD Lieutenants are now represented by the IAFF.
Congratulations to them and negotiations on their portions of the contract begin on September 12!
President Jon Nordgren
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