Harassment and intimidation — that’s what some Wichita firefighters say is happening within the department.
At Tuesday’s City Council meeting, firefighters accuse Fire Chief Ronald Blackwell and his staff for anti-union retaliation. The problem has gone unchecked by the City of Wichita management, said Matt Schulte, president of local union chapter of the International Association of Fire Fighters.
“We’re hitting walls, and we’re tired of hitting walls,” Schulte said. “We’d like to get this resolved. We thought we did with FMCS. But, it went well for a while, and then it stops. The grievances still happen. We still have to protect our member’s rights, and that’s what’s getting very disappointing.”
Schulte said firefighters have had problems with department management for at least six years. IAFF claims there have been problems with the department issuing paychecks on time; the department discouraging workers to joining the union in exchange for reduced penalties at work; and various intimidation tactics.
City Manager Robert Layton denies that the city has engaged in anti-union conduct. He believes it did not violate the labor agreement.
“I take these allegations of anti-union behavior very seriously,” he said. “During the past five years, I have worked hard to develop strong working relationships with all of our employee unions. I have also encouraged open and collaborative relationships between the City’s management team and the various union leadership teams.”
Layton said he’s had ongoing discussions with union leaders. He hopes they’re able to resolve the issues quickly.
“In the Fire Department, the management team has taken a number of actions since 2012 to improve communication, build trust and increase transparency of management decisions,” Layton said.
“At the end of the day, our No. 1 concern is making sure that firefighters have good representation, but making sure that citizens have an effective fire department,” echoed Mayor Carl Brewer.
Union leaders said they are optimistic about the future for its 430 firefighters in Wichita.
“A happy firefighter is going to do much better on the streets than one that isn’t treated right and has to worry about his well-being and his personal rights being infringed on every day when he comes to work,” said Mark Woolbright, international vice-president of IAFF.
Ideally, Woolbright said the union and City of Wichita would resolve their issues before negotiating new contracts 2016.