The city of Manitowoc and the local firefighter’s union are going to arbitration over an issue with titles and payment to firefighters.
According to city documents, the Manitowoc Firefighters Union Local 368 was going to agree to a settlement after filing a grievance about titles in the fire department.
As of December 31, 2023, the city got rid of the title of Captain and replaced it with Battalion Chief.
However, one of the firefighters who had the rank of Captain got his title changed but was able to still be paid a Captain’s salary for the rest of his career.
The union felt other former firefighters with the former rank of Captain should also get the same pay.
Personnel Committee Chairman Bill Schlei says the council was going to deny the grievance after a settlement conference.
But then, the union didn’t agree to the settlement.
“They wanted to negotiate a different settlement,” he explained. “We weren’t in this to negotiate; we were just trying to simply codify exactly what we were going to be doing.”
The council voted to deny the grievance but placed the side letter agreement and union counteroffer on file.
Council President Eric Sitkiewitz says he was disappointed in the way the committee handled going to arbitration, especially when they discussed a strict two-week period for the union to do it.
“Unfortunately, we’re going to be hung out to dry a little bit longer on this because now that window to file arbitration goes to Friday,” he stated. “Where if we had just denied the grievance settlement and not done that 10 (business) day extension, it would be done tonight.”
City Attorney Eric Nycz says arbitration means the city will find a neutral decision-maker like a former judge, and the firefighters will also find someone.
They will try to decide which side is correct without having to go to court over the issue.
Nycz also tells Seehafer News this is not the first time the city and the union have gone to arbitration over employment, and the last time, the neutral parties ruled in favor of the union.
