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Tuesday, Nov. 2, 2010 | 2 a.m.
Sun archives
- Sisolak offers proof of firefighters ‘gaming’ sick leave system (9-11-2010)
- County, firefighters’ union spar over contract negotiations (8-3-2010)
- Is a wave of county firefighter retirements on the horizon? (6-25-2010)
- Rory Reid says firefighters union resorting to ‘scare tactic’ with ad (6-15-2010)
- County considers plan to privatize airport firefighting force (6-11-2010)
- New plan to curtail Clark County firefighter overtime (6-5-2010)
- Staffing shuffle would cut county Fire Department overtime (5-20-2010)
- Las Vegas, Clark County collaborate to limit firefighter overtime (4-27-2010)
- Fire union resists move to increase its ranks, reduce overtime costs (4-16-2010)
- Has fire union support become a campaign curse? (4-15-2010)
- ‘Boot drive’ OT for individual firefighters is unknown (4-4-2010)
- Practice of on-duty firefighters raising money for charity questioned (3-31-2010)
- Fire union goal: Silence Sisolak (3-19-2010)
- Las Vegas firefighters burn up more sick time than other city employees (3-14-2010)
- Clark County firefighters profit from sick leave policy (3-7-2010)
- ‘Longevity pay’ costs millions in county (12-10-2009)
- Firefighters feeling budget backlash (5-28-2009)
- County, fire union break ice with heated words (5-7-2009)
- Firefighters have perks to give back, if they wanted to (4-29-2009)
More than a year ago, the county firefighters union took Clark County bureaucrats to task, challenging them to cut travel expenses before asking the union for salary concessions during difficult contract negotiations.
That demand by Ryan Beaman, president of International Association of Fire Fighters 1908, might come back to haunt him, as a Sun examination of county fiscal data shows that leave and related expenses for firefighters are rising while travel costs are way down.
Union leave can be used for things such as educational conferences, seminars and training courses, according to its contract. Many of those events are out of state.
County Commissioner Steve Sisolak thinks the county’s frugal travel budget for several thousand workers, in contrast to rising leave hours for the union’s 700 firefighters, could be a factor for a neutral arbitrator who will try to break the impasse in contract talks.
“If the union is saying they’re entitled to more than the county wants to give, the county can show it’s being very fiscally responsible,” he said.
Rusty McAllister, president of the Professional Fire Fighters of Nevada, deferred questions on leave to Beaman, who said he would answer questions after arbitration.
An arbitration hearing of two or three days begins this week. A decision will come weeks later.
Since Beaman’s letter in March 2009, the county’s travel budget fell from $1.1 million in fiscal year 2009 to $699,000 in fiscal 2010, down 36.5 percent. County numbers also show that if travel expenses for the district attorney’s office are removed — investigators travel more for witness interviews — it spent $238,188 last year.
So far this year, the county’s travel budget appears to be even lower. Travel expenses in the first quarter of fiscal 2011 were $106,000 ($58,000 for the district attorney’s office). If that holds for the year, total travel would be $424,000, a 40 percent decline from the last fiscal year.
Meanwhile, firefighter union leave is on pace to increase by 19 percent. Further, the county pays overtime to firefighters who fill in for union members who take leave. That overtime in calendar year 2009 was $211,000. So far this year, 37 union members have taken leave, and overtime to cover them is projected to be about $250,000 by year’s end.
In terms of hours, the county projects that by the end of this calendar year, firefighters will have taken 5,100 hours of union leave. That’s up from 4,300 hours in 2009.
Commissioner Tom Collins, whose support of unions is symbolized by a firefighter helmet on a hat rack in his office, remembers when he served in the Legislature and the state cut lawmakers’ trips to one per year. When union leave is to attend conferences, Collins said he knows how union leaders will reply when asked to cut back.
“I know (the union) is going to claim this is a safety issue,” he said. “But they don’t have to go more than necessary, and if they are, then they need to cut it.”
The union’s contract does not require members to disclose why leave is taken. If leave involves travel, for example, it does not show up in county records.
But conclusions can be drawn.
Correlations exist between union leave and firefighter conferences across the country. What follows are some of the conferences this year and the hours of union leave recorded during that time.
• Jan. 27-29 — the International Affiliate Leadership Training Summit in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. Eight firefighters took 109 hours of leave.
• March 14-22, International Association of Fire Fighters Legislative Conference in Washington, D.C. Seven firefighters took 312 hours of leave.
• Aug. 21-27, the union’s 50th Biennial Convention, San Diego. Seven firefighters took 304 hours of leave. Along with typical conference sessions, the convention included activities such as a motorcycle ride, golf tournament, block party, firefighter social, and two San Diego Padres games, with proceeds from ticket sales going to the San Diego Burn Institute and the union’s Burn Foundation.
“We pay for them to attend conferences with golf outings and galas,” Sisolak said. “At the same time constituents are having a hard time feeding their families. I’m just not buying that with the advent of the Internet, so much travel is necessary to learn about policy and union matters.”
Other county unions have different leave policies.
The Service Employees International Union, which represents 5,700 employees, caps all union leave at 1,375 hours per year. No overtime is paid.
Chris Collins, president of the Police Protective Association, which represents about 2,700 active-duty members, estimated that about the same number of his union members as firefighters take leave each year. He said eight go to a national conference in Washington once a year, and he tries to send his seven board members to union classes once a year. No overtime is generated.
Compared with SEIU members, the largest county public employees union, firefighters take on average six times more leave per person, according to county figures.
In 2010, county figures show, SEIU’s 5,700 members are on pace to take 4,500 hours of union leave, while the firefighters’ 754 members are on pace for 5,100 hours. For every 1,000 hours worked, firefighters would be taking 2.4 hours of leave versus 0.4 hours for SEIU members.
The mob could only dream of running these kinds of union scams.
Hmmm. The firefighter stories have been out of the news for awhile now and it's been nice. I guess the arbitration date is approaching so the RJ/Sun needs to beat the horse again.
Screw the FIREFIGHTER"S!!!
"International Association of Fire Fighters Legislative Conference in Washington, D.C. Seven firefighters took 312 hours of leave."
Why does it take SEVEN firefighters to attend a 'Legislative Conference'. Can't ONE go and bring back the training material?
This Legislative Conference isn't to learn how to fight fires or learn fire safety, it's how to WORK THE SYSTEM and pump the TAXPAYER Treasury into the pockets of the attendees. These conferences are little more than paid vacation for brown nosers with political connections in the Fire Dept and do nothing for the public.
Add registration, travel, hotel and transportation costs associated with the convention and it's easy to total $3,000. The salaries paid to attend the "convention" for 44 hours of leave and you have what amounts to looting of the public treasury.
Then they park in front of Walmart to collect 'donations' for children while busting the pockets of the children's parents in tax bills.
Why can't the fire services be privatized?
That is 44 hours of leave each - more than one week of leave for each to attend one conference. And then SEVEN have to attend the same conference?
The Firemen are so OVERPAID...They should take a 50% cut in pay for a start...The MONEY well is dry
binding arbitration and closed door negotiations have to go. Government unions should not be allowed to hold taxpayers hostage.
who needs to pay $150,000 a year for a firefighter?
i'll take the job for $100,000 and you won't see
me at donut shop all day.
i saw a big fire rig at the supermarket yesterday...
they were there to pick up their daily dozen new
york steaks paid for by the tax payers.
what a laugh!
Lindsay Lohan preaches sobriety to others.
Gee if we shut down half the fire stations and used the money to pay IN FULL for any property destroyed by fire we'd all save and not pay so much for home-owner's insurance.
Comment removed by moderator. Off-topic.
The NYFD paid an extreme price on 9/11 and the general public rightfully placed them in high regard for their bravery and courage.
Emanating from the horrific losses, the general public sentiment became one of indebtedness.
Under this cover, local union, as with others around the country, subsequently crafted, with elective politicians, generous and insane contract concessions which has burgeoned since post 9/11.
That was 10 years ago and things have changed. It is time to reverse the 'generous' gains and restore public employees pay and benefits back consistent with their true worth to the community and society.
Start cutting positions and letting the fire crew go...It is inevitable so stop wasting time.
If I am reading this article right, it sounds like there is even more abuse of OT this year then last year. Which means any concessions are in name only.
Privatize already,the taxpayer is sick of these guys.
Ryan Beamans father is a "ff" here and made over $200k last year.
Elected officials once again silent on the story.
One of the evil things about Card Check law was that private companies would be forced to go into binding arbitration when a union was first certified if the company did not accept the union's contract offer.
That would destory jobs and companies.
Valley taxpayers better hope like heck that the FF loose; or no FF union in this valley will ever bargin anything away again, ever.
If the cost of FF service is not brought under control the only way taxpayers will get return on their money is to burn down their house and keep FF busy; but seeing that the house is worthless anyway, hum.
God Forbid the Fire Fighters and Police give in a little.In the end, someone else will make that choice FOR THEM....END OF SUBJECT!!!
$150,000 dollars for a four star general fighting
a war in afghanistan...
$200,000 for a fireman with a high school education
that spends most of his day at the local donut shop.
ha,ha,ha...what a laugh!
Our firemen are a disgrace.
Where is firecaptianswife in defence?
Oh well,i'm waiting for tednougant to make this a shutout.Ted,are you out there?