Oakwood reaches 3-year deals with public safety employees
City officials OAKWOOD — have approved new 3-year contracts with the unions that represent Oakwood’s public safety officers, lieutenants and city dispatchers.
Two agreements are with the Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 107, which represents Oakwood’s public safety officers and lieutenants. The third is with the Ohio Patrolmen’s Benevolent Association, which represents the city’s dispatchers.
Vice-Mayor Steve Byington said that the current collective bargaining agreement covering public safety officers expires on Oct. 26, and the current agreements covering the lieutenants and dispatchers expire on Nov. 3.
The contracts all were negotiated for pay raises that included a first-year deal of 2.75 percent, a second year at 2.85 percent and a third year at 2.95 percent.
“Labor discussions are often lengthy and sometimes costly,” he told council at its recent meeting. “But during this bargaining cycle the parties were able to come to terms for a new 3-year agreement for both the public safety officers and the public safety lieutenants.”
Byington said the negotiations went smoothly and did not require formal discussions to come to an agreement.
“We would like to commend Chief Alan Hill for his efforts on the city’s behalf, and also our public safety employees for their help in coming to these agreements,” he said.
Byington said that the efforts to make sure the public safety dispatchers were covered with a fair deal was also done with success in an informal setting.
Mayor Bill Duncan said he was pleased with the contract negotiations.
“If you treat people fairly, they will treat you fairly,” Duncan said.
The city also submitted a request to FEMA to be reimbursed for its efforts to help those devastated by the Memorial Day tornadoes.
City Manager Norbert Klopsch told council members that the devastation caused by the tornadoes, plus the Oregon District mass shooting Aug. 4, were shocking and devastating events that happened in one year.
“As a city manager, you don’t know when your community could be subjected to something like this,” he said. “I’ll never forget the night the tornadoes came through.”
He said the morning after the tornadoes hit, several work crews from Oakwood were dispatched to help for eight straight days to pick up debris.
“It was something that we did very gladly,” Klopsch said. “Through the FEMA process, we received a request from the city of Dayton to submit the time and resources we put in. That has all been submitted to FEMA.”
He said Oakwood will likely be reimbursed approximately $20,000 for its clean-up efforts.