Public service unions are bleeding Omaha taxpayers dry, especially with their overly generous benefits. We urge all Omaha taxpayers to lobby their city council members to stand up to the Mayor and his union supporters and rein in excess spending.
BACKGROUND POINTS. 93% of the Omaha Fire Division budget operates under a union contract, unlike other city unions, which contributes to budget overruns and unnecessary spending. The Omaha Fire Division ran $4.5 million over budget in FY 2009.
Pull much of this percentage out of the contract.
Firemen sent home daily because of overstaffing but still paid. Too many fire captains. The office of fire chief increased from 8 to 11 employees, and 3 more battalion chiefs. 70% of fire trucks have 6-7 persons on board, though the current contract calls for only 4. To handle one kitchen grease fire, 3 fire trucks, a hazmat truck, a rescue squad, and 3 battalion chiefs arrived.
Add several hours to firefighter shifts. Save $700,000 by reducing top-heavy managerial staffing of the fire division, as recommended by the Matrix Study. Begin a personnel audit of this department. There are now 45 captains on ambulances, even though the Commission of Industrial Relations (CIR) recently stated clearly that these captains are not needed on the ambulances, now costing Omaha taxpayers up to $1 million annually.
ADDITIONAL TALKING POINTS.
· The accumulation of unused sick leave, vacation days, and personal days off that contribute to cashouts that equaled about $2 million this fiscal year needs rectification.
· Paying off annual leave cost $785,386 last fiscal year, so end this benefit.
· Lower the number of annual days of vacation, which employees must use or lose each year.
· No payment for accumulated sick leave or vacation time.
· No cash payments for unused sick leave at retirement.
· Never expiring sick leave days, vacation days, personal days, and disability income must discontinue and resemble the private sector.
· Cut the number of sick leave hours.
· Current employees continue to build compensation time in future years.
· Almost $3 million in comp time banking that city employees could cash out in 2010.
· No cashing out compensation time.
· No comp time calculated at 1 ½ times actual number of overtime hours worked.
· Contracts should force union employees to cash out existing comp time upon becoming management employees.
· No banking time off for hours worked when called back.
· No cashing in time-off banked hours.
· Paid holidays only after first 6 months of employment.
· No holidays for employee birthdays or on 9-11.
· No personal leave days or “open days.”
· No longevity pay.
· No taking of hitherto untaken furloughs, if employee is back at work at full duty.
· No specialty pay for paramedics.
· No bonus pay given if sales tax revenue increases, as mentioned in current contract.
· Fire Division overtime increased 18%, so trim overtime.
· Some firefighters enjoy outside employment with accompanying salaries and benefits.
· Revise and lower base pay standards in present contracts.
· Hire a professional labor relations legal service to negotiate union contracts.
