Although a labor contract was signed this year, Ocean City voters will decide on Nov. 8, 2018 whether the local firefighter/paramedic union should be able to turn to binding interest arbitration when contract negotiations reach an impasse.
On March 2, the International Association of Fire Fighters turned in a petition to put binding interest arbitration on the ballot, thus allowing voters to decide whether an independent arbitrator could settle labor disputes between the city and the union.
Less than two weeks later, the City Council and the fire union signed a deal that included the contentious new schedule that both parties battled over in 2016. That impasse inspired local union President Ryan Whittington and other members to launch the petition.
The schedule implemented in November included two 10-hour day shifts and two 14-hour night shifts, followed by four days off. That replaced the longstanding practice of 24 hours on, 72 hours off.
Union members also received a $50,000 bonus on Oct. 1, to offset any costs of switching to the new shift. On average, the bonus breaks down to $1,282 per employee. Employees were also eligible for a short time to enter the city’s deferred retirement option plan, which is eligible for employees that had earned 25 years of service for pension benefits.
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They still get paid to sleep on nightshift.
ReplyDeleteSaving a cat in a tree doesn't require a lot of effort!!!
ReplyDeleteFirefighters fighting fires, what fires? I would have thought that the new Maryland Sprinkler ordinance that Jim Mathias voted for would have replaced or at the very least substantially reduced all fire districts budgets
ReplyDeleteOcean City would save money by having A mutual aide agreement with Salisbury independent bingo bbq company. They could respond to all night time and weekend calls alllowing Ocean City to do away with half the paid people
ReplyDeleteThese around here should have volunteered
ReplyDeletetheir help to the California fires !
Those guys are the real heros!
The Ocean City Fire Department as well as the Salisbury Fire Department needs to get rid of the Fire Chiefs and hire someone that with work well with the volunteers and the city council.
ReplyDeleteAnd I don't mean replacing them with Eric Peterson, Jay Jester, John Tull, Darrin Scott, Jimmy Gladwell, Rob Frampton, or any other Salisbury Clowns. Chris Shaffer is the only one with half a brain, but he doesn't meet the standard Qualifications. And no Jimmie Payne either, he's been circling overhead like a buzzard.
what volunteers.oh the ones that show up for the free meal once a week? and chris shaffer is a worthless puppett for the chief.he has no balls to stand up for his employees.prime example is how the treat the part time staff that is the back bone of the division.oc was the place to work. funny how they have only recieved 6 applications for the 50 openings for the summer. how is that working out for you chief?
ReplyDeleteAnonymous said...
ReplyDeletewhat volunteers.oh the ones that show up for the free meal once a week? and chris shaffer is a worthless puppett for the chief.he has no balls to stand up for his employees.prime example is how the treat the part time staff that is the back bone of the division.oc was the place to work. funny how they have only recieved 6 applications for the 50 openings for the summer. how is that working out for you chief?
December 31, 2017 at 4:14 PM
I've lost so much for Chris Shaffer. I wonder if his old lady is still sleeping around on him.
December 31, 2017 at 4:14 PM
Anonymous said...
ReplyDeletewhat volunteers.oh the ones that show up for the free meal once a week? and chris shaffer is a worthless puppett for the chief.he has no balls to stand up for his employees.prime example is how the treat the part time staff that is the back bone of the division.oc was the place to work. funny how they have only recieved 6 applications for the 50 openings for the summer. how is that working out for you chief?
December 31, 2017 at 4:14 PM
When Chuck Barton was made the Deputy Fire Chief I knew that the Ocean City Fire/EMS Department had gone downhill. Chuck Barton is only good at remembering EMS facts and teaching EMS, but was the worst street Paramedic ever hired in Ocean City. Chuck Barton hated volunteer firemen and hated the fire side of the fire department. Chuck Barton has never, ever fought any fire. First a fire chief hired from the volunteer ranks for $1 a year for the first year and then $140,000 the next year, what a joke. The biggest joke was the fact that he was only a Firefighter I and not even sure if he was certified at that. He had no EMS experience of certifications and still doesn't. He couldn't even get hired in Salisbury as a basic fireman, but those elected clowns in Ocean City hired him as the paid fire chief with absolutely NO paid fire or EMS experience. What makes him qualified to supervise experienced career Firefighter/Paramedics? NOTHING!