ITHACA, N.Y. – The recent meeting of the Ithaca Common Council was dominated by members of the city’s public sector unions, who spoke out about stalled contract negotiations and poor working conditions. Assistant Fire Chief George Apgar told the council, “The fact that we’re here tonight should be a red flag to you.”
One of the key developments at the meeting was the announcement that all five remaining fire chiefs in the city could leave their positions by the end of the year. This comes on top of the retirement of the assistant chief, who is retiring this month after 24 years of service. The road patrol unit of the Ithaca Police Department is also facing a critical shortage of officers, with only 23 currently serving in the unit. The city is struggling with recruitment efforts in all departments.
A female firefighter shared a personal experience at the meeting, describing how her vehicle was vandalized in the fire department parking lot. The department has also faced other challenges, including syringes, stabbings, shootings, and incidents of open defecation and urination emanating from the Southern Tier AIDS Program building across the street. Many city employees have raised concerns about safety and health issues in the area surrounding the STAP building.
The choice of lawyer to handle union negotiations was also a topic of discussion at the meeting. James Romer, the attorney hired by the city, has a highly negative reputation among the city’s union employees, which has added to the challenges in ongoing negotiations.
The meeting highlighted the significant challenges faced by the city’s public sector unions and their employees. The meeting was the latest in a series of appeals to the governing body to address long-standing issues related to compensation and benefits, particularly health insurance. City negotiators are seeking to reduce the level of coverage offered to public sector workers. One firefighter has described that under the proposed contract, he could face a potential $12,000 cost to re-upgrade to the level of insurance currently provided by the city.