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OPERATIONS AND ADMIN MEETINGS | Otter.ai

OPERATIONS AND ADMIN MEETINGS

Elgin Guthrie42min

Speaker 1

00:34

reason you see more people joining right now I don't see anybody. That's what I'm trying to figure out. I'm paying yourself and pin it. Yeah, well you just have your video pin. You'll see me. Okay, now I do okay.

Speaker 1

01:45

701 Yeah 7011 Some more people are coming in now. Okay, we're gonna go ahead and start because I need to make sure we're starting on time

Unknown Speaker

02:12

Okay, anyone that joins in, I'll just let them know why you're gonna why you're starting.

Unknown Speaker

02:18

Okay. Thank you. Hello everyone. How's everybody doing? How Hello? Hey, ya have to unmute. Yeah

Unknown Speaker

02:40

Hello, I bet Hi Nikita Hello. Hi. How are you feeling? I'm okay. Okay. So we're gonna go ahead and get started. I know with some other people that

Speaker 1

02:58

they will get let in as we began, but I wanted to first of all, bring everybody back together. I know this has been our first union meetings since the pandemic so I'm excited that we're able to have it this way because it has been a problem with getting enough people in a meeting to even have a meeting, because you have to have a quorum in order to have a meeting. So today we found that they do have one. So I welcome everyone from now on the meeting the way you see this setup, this will be the meeting the way meetings will be held moving forward. If you're unable to attend the meeting, all meetings are being recorded. So everything that everybody say will be recorded in these meetings. If you miss a meeting, you're able to go back and replay it. If you have questions that you wasn't sure what the answer. Were at the meeting, you can go back and replay it. So these meetings will always be live and recorded. Today I don't I did not bring an agenda because I was gonna leave the floor open for any questions that anyone have. And we can answer questions accordingly. Information that the eboard have we are open to share that. So I'm open to meeting up to the floor. Is there any questions that anybody have at this time that they want answered?

Unknown Speaker

04:40

No questions.

Unknown Speaker

04:41

Hello Aretha. This is Lenore.

Unknown Speaker

04:45

Halle norm. Hi.

Speaker 2

04:48

Can you speak on that email that they just recently put out about that $20,000 And who it pertains to, um, I know it spoke. I mean, I know it said that. People were 18 years and more qualified but it was some other stuff in there as well. And there's some confusion with who, um, that email was addressed to whether it's also vegans or its administrators. Can you speak on that?

Speaker 1

05:19

Sure. So that emailed it went out and I was really upset about the email because the chief did put it out without consulting the eboard first, anytime something like this hit the eboard should have had a meeting with management. However, that email was not for EMTs and paramedics. It does not qualify EMTs and paramedics to take that early out is strictly for administrative. Okay. So it does not apply to us at all. Any anyone and it actually applies to any civilian within the fire department, which will could include people who's working at the rebuilding people who are working at the street who are nine to five or eight before however you want to put it but it does not apply to EMTs or paramedics at all period. Okay,

Speaker 2

06:21

that's what I wanted to get clear that because it wasn't entail. I was about to get off last tour when I was told that it was only for administrators. But you know, it was, you know, it was upsetting just to read it because it was like a slap in the face whether it pertained to administrative or whether it was addressed to us, you know.

Speaker 1

06:47

So this is how this works. Normally, the mayor will put out when she wants agencies to offer early out. Normally the mayor puts that out. The mayor has now allow agencies, the agencies individually to do this on their own. So the fire chief said he had some extra money and that he put it out for anyone who was administrative and wanted an early out. So it isn't just for us. It's for anybody who wants to early and they are administrative. Thank you

Unknown Speaker

07:35

I'm sorry. Any other questions? Nikita, you had a question?

Speaker 3

07:46

I'm sorry. I didn't realize my camera my man. My microphone was still.

Speaker 1

07:52

Oh, okay. Anyone have any other questions?

Speaker 1

08:02

No, I have two people that I'm texting now. Because I can't get into the meeting or saying if they go into their email, they invite us in their email

Speaker 1

08:19

for

anyone who can't get in our IT guy is right here and he can I let you in. So tell me if you give him the name so you can let him in. Jamie, I'm letting him know now. Thank you Mike, you have any questions?

Unknown Speaker

08:50

That's not at the moment.

Unknown Speaker

08:54

Cam Do you have any questions?

Speaker 1

09:07

Okay, so just to bring everyone up to date with this new website that we have that's open to members on this website. You will find all your contracts the cup wanting to contract will be on his website. The working condition contract will be on this website any information any information that is warranted to dues paying members will be on this website. We are currently finishing up a new working condition contract hopefully we will be finishing it up this month and it will go to the agency and it will go to or LCB for approval once it's approved. Everything will be on this website so that if you want to print it off if you need a copy of it, it will be right there at your hands. We haven't had a new working condition contract in over was close to 50 years. That's how old the current contract is right now. The last contract that we're working off of was done in 1977. So we have actually been working on this new condition contract new working condition contract now for about how long to really bet about seven years now. We've been trying to get this contract together the comp wanting to contract at anytime that you have an issue with your office's putting in your time correctly because we don't do 15 minutes a quarter time. If you stay over for one minute. You want to get paid for the entire hour. If that is an issue, you can go on this website and pull up the contract and show it to your officer. So is anyone having an issue with that? No. Okay, um, the other thing the agency puts out is different training. What is the name of the training event? That's out right now to me.

Unknown Speaker

11:34

What the adjunct one the adjunct training.

Speaker 1

11:37

So I had a conversation with the fire chief about the fact that every time we go for these different trainings, nobody's teaching but firefighters. So the adjunct training, by all means, please do apply for it. Because if you get trained in the adjunct training, you're able to work anywhere within the fire department overtime or what have you teaching training, but you have to do it through the Agile training. So if anyone is interested in doing that, please apply for it. Put your special report in. I think the deadline for that is it September the first time. Hello. I believe it is September 5. So that is another training that you can have that also that it gets you in some overtime spots. Any questions on that?

Speaker 4

12:41

Just so that they know just so that they know it's a selection process so they have to apply and then be selected. Right? Not just not that you just apply and then boom you're down there. They have to select you based upon this. You going through a certain series of things correct.

Unknown Speaker

13:07

Randy, we're on a meeting to join can we can you please have them to call Eldridge not me.

Speaker 1

13:21

I'm working on it. Okay, any other questions on that? On that process with the alga he throw me out? Any other questions on the process with the what's the name of the training at that Lord Jesus adjunct adjunct training now okay, um, the other piece is to about our units. So as you all know, members are leaving we have several members that will be leaving by the end of the year. So every time members our members are leaving, and people are asking the questions Why do they keep taking out units they are taking units because we cannot man the units so when you beat still see that now we're down to what about four units? I think it is and then we got about three split units. That is because members are leaving. It has nothing to do with them just taking units from local 3721 We do not have enough people to keep these units to mandate it. Any questions on that? Any concerns?

Speaker 1

14:45

Now Okay, the next thing uniforms so everyone do know that we are now changing over to the cross uniforms so if you want new uniforms, you still have to go into go online into onto Musca tellows in order your uniforms. Also we will be getting new outer gear. The new outer gears come in everyone is gonna get size for it. But it actually gonna take a year for that gear to get made. So this year there will be a winner. We will not have our gear. We won't have it until roundabout next spring next summer. For the following year. Because the company which is lying that they're using, these companies are so backed up. They're the only ones who are out here giving gear to everybody, not just the fire department, all fire departments throughout the United States. So when it comes to the outer gear just so you know, we won't have any this year this winter. But it'll be here probably by next summer because they say it's going to take about a year to get everybody fitted to get the gear cost estimate, so on and so forth. Any questions about our gear?

Speaker 5

16:11

Oh question about uniforms. Sure. Whenever I go on to muscatel or I'm trying to order new uniforms that always tells me that it's on backorder but then every time I recruit class comes out they have a full cash of uniforms. How is it they can have uniforms for everybody in the recruit class but can't have one individual?

Speaker 1

16:32

So they are telling the truth about uniforms being on backorder because what was happening is um, what was the name of the first company we was using the bat before we they changed over like a month ago.

Unknown Speaker

16:49

I can't remember.

Speaker 1

16:51

Okay, so the first set of get the first set of uniforms which was getting was the thin stuff. So the company that was making that I don't know if if they the material change or the material didn't work but they couldn't they couldn't mandate the capacity of the fire department. So now the fire department has switched over to cross. So if you go in and you put in for your uniforms now you should be able to get new uniforms. If there's a problem, let me know and I will reach out to Chief Edwards. And he's pretty good with making sure that our members had a uniform.

Speaker 5

17:34

I put in twice for uniform and the first time was in February, and the second time was just last month. And have we got anything

Speaker 1

17:42

okay so I will send chief outworks or email or Mr. Gardner to check on uniforms anyone else has issue with uniforms

Speaker 4

17:58

my mic Let me ask your question. So when you put in for the uniforms and you get a response back from muscatel Oh,

Speaker 5

18:06

yeah, just keep telling me that they're on backorder that's all it is. I mean, I ordered boots I got the boots, no problem but as far as like pants and shirts and stuff they just keep telling me it's on backorder Yeah.

Speaker 1

18:20

That's almost about right. I just got pants What about two days ago? So like I said, I'll send over and get chief at which to do a check on the status of your uniforms. what anyone else has issues with uniforms okay, you know about mine Aretha? Okay. Um, the next thing our union office is now at ADF Street, which is in the same building as the national AFD AFGE national. The reason we cannot and the reason the last meeting was confused I was confused because I wasn't aware of that that building closes at five. I thought they stayed open open till about seven. So we will not probably ever be able to have a meeting down there because security leaves at five the building close at five and parking is going to be a huge issue. And I can guarantee you probably anybody that's parked on the street probably would get a ticket. So this is another reason why the meetings was changed to exactly what we're doing right now the virtual meetings. And for those who just join in again, just so you know, if you miss a meeting if a meeting is scheduled on the day that you shift work, you will always be able to go back to this website. All meetings are being recorded. So everything that I'm saying everything that everyone is saying is recorded. You can go back and listen to the means. The other thing is we are also currently doing new bylaws for the year. So that was another reason why I had to wait for the meetings because you have to get the okay from the National to change your bylaws and include virtue meetings into your bylaws because of the pandemic nobody was never doing virtue meeting. So that has to be approved by the National just so you would know why there wasn't any meetings prior to now. Any questions in relationship to that? No. Okay, um, event Am I leaving anything out? Oh no, I

Unknown Speaker

20:50

don't think so.

Speaker 1

20:55

So we talked about uniforms. Everyone is aware that all of your forms and contracts is going to be on this website. If you go into the website, you will see that all the Met Oh meetings has now been scheduled for the remaining of the year. And I think into next year. So operations meetings are always the third Thursday of every month. And apparatus meetings are always the third Wednesday of every month. So when you're logging in, just make sure you log into operations in that apparatus. Any questions in reference to that?

Speaker 4

21:39

Read

that let them know about working overtime. Outside of other than operations like some of the members want to work down apparatus I want to work over

Speaker 1

21:58

Okay, so let's talk about working overtime in other divisions. So that's another thing we have been working on to give members that opportunity so let's take the street for example. V St. You're going to find out that there's a lot of firefighters who comes in on their off days and make deliveries deliver these boxes to the fire houses. They are doing that because none of us are going down there doing it but yet it still we are complaining that they're doing it. In order for that to stop. Guess what we have to do? You have to start signing yourself up to do it. Other than that, they're gonna continue to get this what time and a half pay for going down there. Just to deliver these boxes, our bins, they not boxes, delivering the bins to the fire to the fire houses. Now I remember at one time we had a full staff that was doing this. Now that I would say maybe what about how many people is gone at least four or five people are no longer there any more. So that's how these firefighters are able to step in and get this overtime. With overtime is also offered to you. Anybody who wants to go down to the street on your off days and and work overtime. And deliver the same bands to the fire houses. Let me know I will send your name over to Chief Edwards and I'm pretty sure he will let you come down and work. Now when it comes to for example Klout is interested in working overtime at apparatus. So I think it was a one of the officers down there said well until they get a note saying that local 3721 members can come there and work then they're not allowing them to work. So that's another piece we're working on. Hlo is another opportunity where you could sign up in work. So any anything and I'm gonna say this and I have no problem reminding the fire team almost anything that you see the firefighters doing overtime man we have the opportunity to do that overtime as well. Yes, my

Speaker 5

24:22

was down at apparatus when I was on light duty. And the captain down mayor says the reason there's not a lot of single role personnel down there, because none of us have a 140 for the larger vehicles like the trucks and the engines that are being moved around. And he said they're only bringing people down to have a 140 for those vehicles to work at apparatus even though they have smaller vehicles. They're just bringing them people with 140 for those larger vehicles out there.

Unknown Speaker

24:53

I'll check I'll check on it and let you and get back with you. Okay.

Speaker 1

25:01

The other thing I'm going to bring to you all attention when you're in the hospitals and you asking the particularly GW, you're asking them to sign your EPCR please make sure that they sign it themselves. Because this has backfired where a nurse is saying okay, you can sign but then it comes back. That nurse turned that same nurse turned around and said that they did not give permission for XYZ to sign their name. So please make sure that when you're in these hospitals, that the nurses are signing themselves if they broke away or refused to sign please write in that box nurse refused to sign nurse not available to sign and also put it in your special report because that has became a huge issue. The fact that document is a binding document. That document was to go to court and this nurse says no I didn't give such and such permission to sign my name. You can actually be arrested for that. So please, please please make sure they are signing your EPCR any questions on that?

Speaker 1

26:32

No. Okay. Um also, if you are signing up for overtime, and you're given the overtime, and then you look again and someone has removed remove you from that overtime. Please take when you sign up and it's been given to you take a picture of it. Keep it in your phone. If you go back and that overtime is gone. Take a picture of it and send it to either myself event attendee somebody from the eboard so that we can take it and give it to Baker because that has been happening to a lot of members, especially members who are signing up for Hlo. So if you see when you're being when you've been given overtime, the second to get that overtime, take a picture. Just keep it in your phone because Baker want things in real time. So if the overtime has taken back from you, please take a picture and send it to one of us so that we can take it to management. Any questions on that?

Speaker 3

27:40

I have a question. Asked round up for events. Is that something special going on? Sometimes I'll see an email data say that I'm approved so am I supposed to wait for the approval because I'll sign up and it'll say a vacancy, but I didn't get it.

Speaker 1

28:05

You think you thought the space events? Yeah. So what do you

Speaker 3

28:13

do? One month I was pretty good with getting it. I'm not going to exaggerate. So I went back to it again. And I signed up only where said vacancy I didn't receive an email stating that I had gotten it and then that was it. So I figured that well, as long as it said they can see I could get it. You know what I mean?

Speaker 1

28:41

Right, so even Do you know how to work do do Lieutenant wish you Lieutenant Sergeant Jackson? Do she send something saying that you've been chosen for the special events? They will

Speaker 3

28:53

send a letter stating that you are you can come down for the special event. But it but it is say one space left so I'll sign up for it. But then I'll get it. So I don't know.

Speaker 1

29:10

Oh, you signing up but she's not choosing you is that it?

Speaker 3

29:13

I'm just saying that. I'm asking is it a way in which that if if it says one vacancy and I put them forward? Is it do I get it or is it something else? To

Speaker 1

29:30

let me check on it and get Yes. Let me check on that and get a clear answer for you. And I'm and I'll get back with you with that. I'm writing it down now. So that I can find out the

Speaker 4

29:46

are you talking about are you talking about the what you couldn't be talking about the big the big event so you talking about like when you pull up your calendar and you look on your day off and there's something that's sitting on your calendar that indicates this especially event so you go in on that day? Let's just say might even though I know we don't do it anymore, like I saw on their mistakes, like the little Mr games or whatever these little events that they have around town or Rita like GW and all that participate in and they might only need like one or two units down there. That's what she's talking about. I'm assuming

Speaker 3

30:29

I was trying to get like the hip, the the hip hop block party right so that did it like a month in advance? I did in like a month in advance Yeah, I did in like a month in advance because I noticed that you know you got to take a class to do hL hL well you know what I mean a hospital. So I said well, let me try to special events. I might not have to take a class for that. But

Speaker 1

31:03

please start taking these classes. Take as many classes in training as you can please everybody and tell other members take these classes because that is the that is the way that that the department is going to start justifying a lot of this what we call the sweet overtime, because I'm pretty sure everybody on here including myself do not want to do a whole lot of overtime on these units. But if you take these classes and take these trains, then you have the opportunity to work these overtime shifts. Okay, so please, please

Speaker 3

31:44

another thing. Okay, no problem. I wanted to know, even though we don't have the 140s to work at fleet maintenance, if maybe we can do like administrative work like answered the telephone, or some filing. You know what I mean? Who ate some little All right. Things are loading up. Some things are loading up with people just working a lot of overtime. Maybe we can do something else that nobody wants to do.

Speaker 1

32:24

That's you're absolutely correct. And I am going to put that on the table and ask the fire chief and apparatus about that. Because in leading to that, just so you would know as well. We have there is 20 members within the fire department that should have been in our union when they were hired. Ticket writers is one of them. And we're actually hopefully getting ready to close this out and these positions will be added to our cert list. So ticket writers apparatus is one people who work in Pio they supposed to be in our union. Who else event it's another area

Unknown Speaker

33:14

they all love some people. They all love them.

Speaker 1

33:17

So then we're going to be also putting that list together. Because that could be another opportunity. If you wanted to come off the street and there's a vacancy in these departments. You have the right to apply for those vacancies and work in that division. So that's another thing that is coming down the pipe and members will be notified when we're done negotiating that hopefully that'd be another area that we should be closing out hopefully by the second or third week of September. But we do have a team members that should be in our union and other divisions within the fire department.

Speaker 2

33:58

Okay, this is Lynn Nora. This is pertaining to Monique special events Lieutenant Jackson. Has she worked on special events she might pick you up for one month. And then the next month she'll look and say well you work so many hours this month. She'll pick up other people so it would be fair as far as getting hours in. Another thing that was brought up to Lieutenant Jackson is fire prevention, fire prevention. Is down engine 24. They know all the special events that is going to happen before people on the street know so fire prevention had the upper hand of signing up for these special events. And that might be another reason why Monique is not being picked up. Now that was brought up to Lieutenant Jackson's attention and she said she was going to address it but still today she had not addressed it you know, save a favor if you want to know you get picked up if you ain't in the know you don't get picked up. You know what I mean? So Rita, you can still check into it and bring it to her attention. Maybe she'll listen to you better than what she would listen to one of us. Okay,

Speaker 1

35:15

I plan to have that conversation so I can get some clarity and get back to everyone. The correct.

Unknown Speaker

35:24

Can you speak on mandatory overtime?

Speaker 4

35:29

Well, wait a minute. Before we just speaks on that. Let me let me go back to these 140s And what my gardener was saying so let me say this We apparatus consist of ambulance and Medic units to matter of fact they do more of that than they do those trucks and and right. You know those rescue squads so everybody on this line right now has a 140 for the ambulances and the medic units and transport units. So for him to just say oh, well, you need a 144 Now you all can go down and like I said, we'll go back to the table with them and address the situation because you all can grab those transport units. If need be wherever they need to go. It is not just the fire trucks and all of that but you all everybody on this phone has a 140 for the transport unit. And so you know we were very clear at the table. The captain wasn't at the table. But we were very clear with management about you know, our members participating in the overtime that's going on, you know, down at apparatus and throughout their department. So we're gonna have to go and revisit you know, let them you know, everything kinda sorta you know, put it in the coffin.

Speaker 1

36:56

Exactly. Um, real quick. Let me go back to another thing that I think I need to bring break clarity with. So this lawsuit that members in local 36 that crossed over and the lawsuit they hit the news sports um, we are not included in that. That lawsuit is for them to get money to pay into their retirement. So they are what they are doing is where that came about is the fire department has not paid anything into their retirement. The fire department wants them to pay into their retirement and by the time so they went and got this attorney to get the make the fire department pay start to buy some of their time. That lawsuit do not apply to us. We have absolutely nothing to do with that lawsuit. Any questions about that?

Speaker 3

37:59

I have a question. Sure. So the people who are in the lawsuit no asking that we participate with them in the lawsuit because they're saying that they're going after that rose and Bob money that we you know that that's what they're going after initially. I just thought that they were going after their retirement that they lost all their years of service, right. So I said well, you know, what's your years of service if you can get it get it? But then they were saying no no you need to get in it. This is them that ask it. They said Aretha should ask you guys to get in on this lawsuit because the department owes money. And I said well wait a minute, hold up. You know, we're not in your retirement. Why should we come in because we told you not to go over? That's what we say. But that's all I'm gonna say on that

Speaker 1

39:10

though is, you're right. So I have had conversations with Rick on this subject. This is how I know what this lawsuit is about. This lawsuit. That $100 million that you saw on TV. That lawsuit is to Bob them their time when they crossed over. We cannot go in with them because they're in another union. If we're going to do something it will have to be something separate. Because I have spoke with the national and the National has already forgotten me that you cannot go in on a lawsuit with another union. If we're going to do something, it has to be something separate under our own national. So that $100 million. That money is to pay into their retirement that is not money that's gonna go in their pocket. That is not money that's that that they're gonna get and then they can just leave the department that is money that to bide their time. So for example, let's say they went over 10 years ago, that that money is to help them buy back those 10 years if there's enough that even bought back. We cannot we cannot go in on a lawsuit with them. Because, again, the National has already told me the president of 36 can actually sue me for even intruding into members of this in their union. So we can't do that. Now, what I can talk to you about what we do have on the table is I'm out don't know if you I don't know if you all remember back when Kennedy was here and when we was doing the two two and four. And it came about that they were not paying us for four hours. Of those 12 hours we was working. And then all of a sudden we got this lump sum of money that was added to our paycheck. Well, when we went 24 hours, and I begin to look at it and I'm like wait a minute, especially after we started doing our own time. My question is when you go in that you work a Sunday on a Thursday, and you go in and you put in 24 hours for Sunday and 24 hours for Thursday. Where is your eight hours because that's 48 hours. Those last eight hours should be timing ahead. But nobody sees that drop down box that says overtime eight hours. If you do please let me know where you see that

Unknown Speaker

42:15

do anybody see it when you put your time

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