Union session off to a slow start

A bargaining session between the city of Kalispell and its firefighters union didn’t get very far Wednesday.

Ricky J. Walsh, a representative of the International Association of Fire Fighters, flew in from Tri-Cities, Wash. for the meeting.

The firefighters union requested the meeting after the city announced on April 5 that it would lay off seven firefighters on May 15 as a result of a arbitrator’s decision that sided with firefighters. The city said the binding arbitration decision will cost $690,000 over three years.

Two television crews and two newspaper reporters were in the council chambers Wednesday afternoon, along with seven council members and various city officials.

It seemed as if the parties were at loggerheads for 20 minutes or so as they talked about what they were going to talk about.

Walsh wanted to know what dollar figures the city was using, and the city wouldn’t divulge that information until it got a letter from Walsh stating what he wanted.

City Attorney Charlie Harball questioned Walsh’s preparedness. “We came here to do some impact bargaining and now you’re changing gears. I would hope you would be prepared,” he said.

Harball said the city was using its “last, best, final offer.”

“There were a whole array of proposals through the months,” City Manager Jane Howington said. “We’re not prepared today to go page by page. That was done in January.” 

Walsh said he wasn’t ready yet to reopen the contract. “I think there’s some value in laying the cards out and seeing what’s going on. Having negotiations in front of everyone here is somewhat counter-productive,” he said.

In regard to having an informal give-and-take session, Walsh asked city staff to “at least give it a shot. If not we’ll go to impact bargaining. I want to explore possibilities to avert laying people off. We don’t need to reopen the contract to do that. I don’t think it’s asking too much to ask you to explain it to me.”

Parties broke for 25 minutes or so and then returned.

Harball got the letter he wanted and Walsh met with city officials to get information about the financial figures the city was using. Harball later said that impact bargaining is off the table for now, but may start sometime Thursday.

The next session involving the firefighters’ union and the city is scheduled for 2:30 p.m. today at Kalispell City Hall.