OCEAN CITY — Ocean City voters could be heading to a special election on the firefighter-paramedics’ collective bargaining referendum as soon as August after a divided City Council this week could not agree on a timetable for the public’s decision on the issue.
In March, the Career Firefighter Paramedics Association of Ocean City, or IAFF Local 4269, submitted a petition seeking binding interest arbitration after collecting signatures throughout much of the last year. In April, the town’s Board of Elections confirmed the IAFF’s petition met the required number of signatures of 20 percent of the town’s registered voters. With 6,067 registered voters in Ocean City, the union would have needed 1,213 confirmed signatures and the petition submitted came in at 1,414.
The ratified petition presented three options — the town could simply adopt binding arbitration for the IAFF with a charter amendment, the issue could be brought to the town’s electorate in the form of a referendum question in the next municipal election in November 2018 or the town could hold a special election on the referendum question regarding binding arbitration.
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hey dennis, the paramedics saved your life last week. how did that work out for you. appearantly good since your stil with us.as a former firefighter that worked the 24/72 shifts for 28 years. can you imagine the toll of being up for 2 night straight with no time to recover. the public has no idea of what the overtime budget will look like.it has been proved that the proposed shifts do not work. why change something that isn't broke.maybe the change needs to come from the top. how about start with the fire chief. he hasn't a clue.itis essential for the ff/paramedics to have 72 hrs.off to recover from babysitting all the drunk kids,and the overserved drunks leaving seacrets every night.dealing with death on a daily basis,you need a mental break.the shift change will not work until you have worked 24/72,its easy to talk about a subject you have no idea about!let the ff/paramedics decide what is best for them.the city will find out the hard way. moral under the current leadership is at an all time low.it cant get any worse!
ReplyDeleteFire fighters alway crying about something.
DeleteParamedics do a HELL of a lot more work than FF infact if it was not for Medic call every other FF would be laid OFF.
DeleteBut they don't rest for 72. Most not all work other jobs and sometimes they even work them the night before they work 24 in ocean city. I know because they ask me to come in early for them so they are not late to work in ocean city.
ReplyDeleteEasy to say 132 until you need them! Shameful that OC has ONLY 6067 (used to be over 7K) registered voters with over 27K residences. Shameful that City Hall can't do their job which includes COMPROMISING with one another.
ReplyDeleteThugs on the boardwalk, stabbing/robbing one another. Chasing scooters in the middle of the night, puke all over the bus floors and we're worried about Boobs and can't make a decision regarding emergency services.
WOW - you all are lucky to still have the rules locked down for residents only to vote. If not - the OC SWAMP would be drained for sure!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!