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_ Firemen
ae ‘)
Coys ThTeT len
Fora
Turn Down] ee
Advice of,
| Mediator?”
By MARION GAINES
The possibility of another
strike by Atlanta firemen.
’ ‘loomed Monday after a fire-
‘men’s unlon official declared
that a mediator’s proposals were
“totally unacceptable.”
The proposals were put forth
Monday morning by Dr. Edwin
Harrison, president of cone)
Tech, who was named mediator
by both the firemen and the
Chief Jenkins calls for im-
_ provements in Atlanta Police
} Department working condi-
| tions. Page 9.
City of Atlanta as part of the
| settlement of a three-day walk-
out by some 550 firefighters in
early June.
Dr. Harrison recommended
that the city either decrease the
firemen’s work week to 56 hours
(from the present 60) or in-
crease their salaries an equiv-
alent amount by Jan. 1.
“Basically, this leaves us right
where we started’’ (before the
June walkout), said Capt. Jack
Martin, president of the Atlanta
Firefighters Union, Independent.
LEADERS CONFER
Capt. Martin conferred in the
afternoon with the union’s execu-
tive board and Jater in the
night with some 267 of his union
membership,
The results of both meetings
left no doubt that the firemen
are extremely displeased with
Dr. Harrison’s recommenda-
tions, which are not binding on
either the city or the firemen
under terms of the resolution by
Atlanta aldermen authorizing the
mediation.
After a station-by-station poll
Monday night, Capt. Martin re-
ported that the firemen at the
union meeting voted unanimous-
ly “to wholeheartedly reject’)
Harrison's findings. ;
He said they also passed a
resolution authorizing the execu-
tive board ‘‘to take any action
we should determine necessary” |
in the dispute,
‘MORE DESPERATE’
As for a walkout, he said,
Continued on Page 8, Column 1
meet after that to determine its
7a a oe” EU
To 2nd
Continued From Page 1
“These men are becoming more
and more desperate.”
Martin said he still has in hand
mass resignations given him
two and a half months ago to do
with as he sees fit.
In answer to newsmen’s ques-
tions, Capt. Martin said the’
union was “asking for the right |
of collective bargaining.”
He said his union would not re-
ject “compulsory arbitration
with proper safeguards.”
MEETING TODAY
The union will hold another
meeting Tuesday morning for its
second shift. Union officials said
their executive board would
course of action.
Capt. Martin said in receiv-
ing Harrison’s.report was “like
waking up on Christmas morn-
ing—and no Santa Claus.”
“Right now, we are more
shocked and confused than any-
thing,” he said.
First reaction from firemet.
in the station house indicates
they are ready to walk eel
again “in an effort to get their
point across,” he said.
“We thought we had made our
point,” he said, ‘“‘but evidently
we didn’t ”
Capt. Martin said that, in his
opinion, it would ‘definitely take
more than a two-step (pay) in-
erease’”’ to satisfy his union.
Dr. Harrison pointed out in
his findings that the city now
has under way ,an independent
study of all city government sal-
aries by the Pubic Administra-
tion Service of Chicago.
The PAS salary report is due
Sept. 15. :
The firemen had asked Dr,
Harrison, at a July 25 hearing,
for a finding that they are en-
titled to a $100 a month pay
raise and a 48-hour work week
retroactive to June 1.
Dr. Harrison said he recog-
nized that his findings did not
come close to meeting the fire-
men’s requests. But he said he
believed the city “has attempt-
ed, within its limited resourees,
to treat its employes, including
firemen, in a fair manner,”
MAYOR ASKS ACTION
Mayor Ivan Allen Jr. said he
was asking three city agencies
to consider Dr. Harrison's rec-
ommendation “immediately, and
Strike |
then to meet separately and
jointly in order to define the
city’s position in this matter,”
Mayor Allen said the alder- |
manic board already has stated |
it ‘will give first consideration |
in next year’s budget to the|
establishment of a 56-hour work
week for Atlanta firemen.”
“The implementation of the |
56-hour work week will in no.
way decrease the city’s respon- ,
sibility to consider increases in
firemen’s salaries in keeping |
with the recommendations” in |!
the upcoming PAS report, said |
the mayor. ' |
Putting into effect either the |
56-hour week or an equivalent |
pay increase for the firemen
would cost the city some $400,000
annually.-
2 OPTIONS GIVEN
Dr. Harrison gave the fire-
men two options: accepting eith-
er the equivalent pay increase |
or the four-hour per week work
reduction. /
In terms of money he said,
that would mean a monthly pay
increase of about $28 for begin-
ning firemen and about $35 for
top-scale firemen. The starting
pay for the city’s firemen is now
$403 a month.
Dr. Harrison said the decision
;on the options should be “‘left
entirely to the firemen.”
He added: ‘It should be un-
derstood that whichever option
is elected, it is not to be con-
sidered a substitute for, nor an
offset against, any future gen-
eral increases granted to city
employes at large.”
a
ae ‘)
Coys ThTeT len
Fora
Turn Down] ee
Advice of,
| Mediator?”
By MARION GAINES
The possibility of another
strike by Atlanta firemen.
’ ‘loomed Monday after a fire-
‘men’s unlon official declared
that a mediator’s proposals were
“totally unacceptable.”
The proposals were put forth
Monday morning by Dr. Edwin
Harrison, president of cone)
Tech, who was named mediator
by both the firemen and the
Chief Jenkins calls for im-
_ provements in Atlanta Police
} Department working condi-
| tions. Page 9.
City of Atlanta as part of the
| settlement of a three-day walk-
out by some 550 firefighters in
early June.
Dr. Harrison recommended
that the city either decrease the
firemen’s work week to 56 hours
(from the present 60) or in-
crease their salaries an equiv-
alent amount by Jan. 1.
“Basically, this leaves us right
where we started’’ (before the
June walkout), said Capt. Jack
Martin, president of the Atlanta
Firefighters Union, Independent.
LEADERS CONFER
Capt. Martin conferred in the
afternoon with the union’s execu-
tive board and Jater in the
night with some 267 of his union
membership,
The results of both meetings
left no doubt that the firemen
are extremely displeased with
Dr. Harrison’s recommenda-
tions, which are not binding on
either the city or the firemen
under terms of the resolution by
Atlanta aldermen authorizing the
mediation.
After a station-by-station poll
Monday night, Capt. Martin re-
ported that the firemen at the
union meeting voted unanimous-
ly “to wholeheartedly reject’)
Harrison's findings. ;
He said they also passed a
resolution authorizing the execu-
tive board ‘‘to take any action
we should determine necessary” |
in the dispute,
‘MORE DESPERATE’
As for a walkout, he said,
Continued on Page 8, Column 1
meet after that to determine its
7a a oe” EU
To 2nd
Continued From Page 1
“These men are becoming more
and more desperate.”
Martin said he still has in hand
mass resignations given him
two and a half months ago to do
with as he sees fit.
In answer to newsmen’s ques-
tions, Capt. Martin said the’
union was “asking for the right |
of collective bargaining.”
He said his union would not re-
ject “compulsory arbitration
with proper safeguards.”
MEETING TODAY
The union will hold another
meeting Tuesday morning for its
second shift. Union officials said
their executive board would
course of action.
Capt. Martin said in receiv-
ing Harrison’s.report was “like
waking up on Christmas morn-
ing—and no Santa Claus.”
“Right now, we are more
shocked and confused than any-
thing,” he said.
First reaction from firemet.
in the station house indicates
they are ready to walk eel
again “in an effort to get their
point across,” he said.
“We thought we had made our
point,” he said, ‘“‘but evidently
we didn’t ”
Capt. Martin said that, in his
opinion, it would ‘definitely take
more than a two-step (pay) in-
erease’”’ to satisfy his union.
Dr. Harrison pointed out in
his findings that the city now
has under way ,an independent
study of all city government sal-
aries by the Pubic Administra-
tion Service of Chicago.
The PAS salary report is due
Sept. 15. :
The firemen had asked Dr,
Harrison, at a July 25 hearing,
for a finding that they are en-
titled to a $100 a month pay
raise and a 48-hour work week
retroactive to June 1.
Dr. Harrison said he recog-
nized that his findings did not
come close to meeting the fire-
men’s requests. But he said he
believed the city “has attempt-
ed, within its limited resourees,
to treat its employes, including
firemen, in a fair manner,”
MAYOR ASKS ACTION
Mayor Ivan Allen Jr. said he
was asking three city agencies
to consider Dr. Harrison's rec-
ommendation “immediately, and
Strike |
then to meet separately and
jointly in order to define the
city’s position in this matter,”
Mayor Allen said the alder- |
manic board already has stated |
it ‘will give first consideration |
in next year’s budget to the|
establishment of a 56-hour work
week for Atlanta firemen.”
“The implementation of the |
56-hour work week will in no.
way decrease the city’s respon- ,
sibility to consider increases in
firemen’s salaries in keeping |
with the recommendations” in |!
the upcoming PAS report, said |
the mayor. ' |
Putting into effect either the |
56-hour week or an equivalent |
pay increase for the firemen
would cost the city some $400,000
annually.-
2 OPTIONS GIVEN
Dr. Harrison gave the fire-
men two options: accepting eith-
er the equivalent pay increase |
or the four-hour per week work
reduction. /
In terms of money he said,
that would mean a monthly pay
increase of about $28 for begin-
ning firemen and about $35 for
top-scale firemen. The starting
pay for the city’s firemen is now
$403 a month.
Dr. Harrison said the decision
;on the options should be “‘left
entirely to the firemen.”
He added: ‘It should be un-
derstood that whichever option
is elected, it is not to be con-
sidered a substitute for, nor an
offset against, any future gen-
eral increases granted to city
employes at large.”
a