Kansas City, Kansas
Fire Department Timeline Department of Justice Work 2013 November Fire Graduation Class I 2014 February Fire Graduation Class 2 2014 April Department of Justice Work Begins 2015 February DOJ Public Hearing 2015 May Commission Adopts 30 DOJ Recommendations
Fire Department Timeline Fire Study 2015 January 2015 October FACETS chosen to perform Fire Study Fire Study adopted by Commission
Fire Department Timeline Contract Negotiations 2016 January Fire Study raises concern about Trading Time 2016 March UG Legislative Auditor releases Audit Reveals Selling Time 2016 April Commission receives Auditor report 2016 July UG and IAFF 64 go to impasse in negotiations 2016 November UG and IAFF 64 got to Fact Finding in negotiations 2017 January Commission receives Fact Finding report 2017 January UG and IAFF 64 agree to contract Retains Trading Time language Commits to language as written and to ensuring safety UG begins electronically tracking Trades 2017 December End of the year Report on Trades released
Fire Scheduling 101 A firefighter works 24 hours on & 48 hours off 121 shifts scheduled per year Basically 2.3 shifts per week Firefighters are paid for 53.1 hours per week
Paid Time Off Comparison Police Fire 11 holidays (2 weeks and 1 day) 5.5 holidays & 6.5 Kelly days (about 5 weeks off) 4 weeks of vacation (average) 4 weeks of vacation (average) Total: 6 weeks of paid time off Total: 9 weeks of paid time off Plus: They can Sell up to 24 shifts for 3 months off Covert Total: 5+ months of paid time off
What is Shift Trading/Exchange of Time? Prevalent practice among Fire Departments Firefighter exchanges shift with another firefighter Cities of Overland Park, Olathe, & Lenexa have tight controls Must exchange back with actual time worked Clear time frame for reciprocation Limited number allowed per year Maximum number of hours worked in a row Must be same rank Electronically tracked through payroll (Handout 7)
Kansas City, Kansas Fire Department Has No Such Controls Contract says Trade but practice is Selling Time Only 6 out of 391 Firefighters Traded an equal number of hours 237 FF s split $920,000 of tax payer money for time not worked 11 FF s received more than $10,000 Each for time not worked 57 FF s received more than $5,000 Each for time not worked The top 24 sellers Each exceeded 6 months of paid time off The top 5 sellers actually worked a combined 46 weeks
Money Received for Work Not Completed (Handout 2) Name Rank Total Hours Traded Out (Not Worked) Robert S. Wing Joe O Conner Total Hours Traded In Sum of Net Hours Not Worked Sum Received for Not Working Captain 2208.0 2208.0 $64,698.82 FF/MICT 1314.0 1314.0 $33,079.95 Matt Muder Captain 479.8 479.8 $14,735.04 Jason Kimm Gary Grable FF/MICT 576.0 24.0 552.0 $14,335.99 Captain 456.0 456.0 $13,105.96
Top 25 Sellers (Handout 3) First 5 Name Actual Weeks Worked Paid Weeks Off Robert S. Wing 0 52 Steven M. Long 7 45 Joseph W. O Conner 9 43 Matthew W. Muder 13 39 Michael R. Porembski 17 35 Net Hours divided by 53.1 hours per week Does not count sick time or FMLA
Top 25 Cont Net Hours divided by 53.1 hours per week Does not count sick time or FMLA Name Actual Weeks Worked Paid Weeks Off Chad E. Watskey 17 35 Jennifer L. Johnson 17 55 Jason E. Kimm 17 35 Craig D. Lunn 17 35 Christopher T. Bergman 18 34 Thomas D. Porter 18 34 Robert C. Copher 18 34 Gary S. Grable 18 34
Top 25 Cont Net Hours divided by 53.1 hours per week Does not count sick time or FMLA Name Actual Weeks Worked Paid Weeks Off Jason R. Conner 19 33 Christopher Handlin 19 33 Scott O. Pitts 19 33 Angie L. Larson 21 31 Wayne G. Bradley 22 30 Brian N. Shuker 22 30 Jessica M. Kraus 22 30 Jonathan R. Clair 22 30
Top 25 Traders Net Hours divided by 53.1 hours per week Does not count sick time or FMLA Name Actual Weeks Worked Paid Weeks Off Sean M. Cahill 23 29 Cary W. Eldridge II 24 28 Michael R. Moeschler 25 27 Matthew C. Phipps 26 26 Paul J. Hernandez II 27 25
Selling Time Creates Unsafe Work Environment 15 Firefighters exceeded the 24 trade limit Many trades: Firefighters worked as Captains FACETS: Sleep Deprivation = Alcohol Intoxication Countless hours worked in a row without rest 20-25% of KCKFD trucks staffed with un-rested personnel every day
Receivers Who Exceeded 24 Trades (Handouts 4 & 5) Top 5 Name Rank Total Hours Traded In (Worked) Total Hours Traded Out (Not Worked) Sum of Net Hours Worked Estimated Under-The- Table Earnings @ $10 per hour Ray Lopez FF 3,440.00 105.0 3,335.00 $33,350.00 Terry Allen FF 2,533.00 86.0 2,447.00 $24,470.00 Bryant Dustin Chad Adcox Stanley Millison FF/MICT 1,900.00 11.0 1,889.00 $18,890.00 Captain 1,200.50 48.0 1,152.50 $11,525.00 FF/MICT 1,464.00 376.0 1,088.00 $10,862.50
Work Schedules (Handout 6)
Liability Violation of Safety in Contract Section 20.1 (a) Standard Work Period The standard work period for personnel assigned to a twenty-four (24) hour shift shall be one hundred forty-four (144) hours of work in a nineteen (19) day work period, except that such work period may be exceeded in cases of emergency, conflagration and other public danger.
Liability Every day we violate our own contract: Trucks without proper chain of command Trucks without adequate rest Who pays a wrongful death lawsuit? IAFF 64 or the Unified Government?
Liability Are individuals being coerced or paid? When the UG issues paychecks we comply with all IRS regulations Are IRS regulations followed in this scheme? Who is paying, the Union or the Individuals? Are both the payers and the payees made aware of IRS reporting requirements?
Costs Union Comparison Costs All other unions $0 Police $1,173.28 Sheriff $3,516.33 Fire $8,831.46 Plus Bob Wing $64,698.82
Cost Morale in the UG Firefighters receive 9 weeks of paid time off Firefighters can Sell up to 3 months more for paid time off Firefighters are the only employees to receive end of the year payouts Firefighters receive excessive end of career payouts
Discussion