Three Addison Twp. firefighters are looking for the union label.
A petition was filed Dec. 26 with the state’s Employment Relations Commission to have full-time firefighters/paramedics John Beach, Marilyn Szost and B.J. Frantz represented by the Southfield-based Michigan Association of Fire Fighters (MAFF).
‘It’s one of their rights granted to them under state law, under the Public Employment Relations Act,? said Joel Felt, staff organizer with the MAFF. ‘I don’t believe there’s any animosity or anything out there. They’re just exercising their rights.?
State law grants all public employees in Michigan, excluding classified civil service employees of the state and federal governments, the right to organize and be represented by labor organizations of their choice.
Addison officials plan to stay out of the matter and let the firefighters decide for themselves via a vote.
‘The township’s position is we’re not going to promote nor try to thwart any union issues,? said township attorney Bob Davis. ‘Which I personally think is the right thing to do.?
‘Ninety-nine percent of the time everybody works this out peaceably and they’re allowed to vote,? Felt explained.
According to Felt, the three firefighters will next be given the opportunity to vote via secret ballot on whether or not they wish to be represented by the MAFF.
Ballots will be mailed to the firefighters? residences by the Employment Relations Commission on Feb. 12 and must be returned to the state by Feb. 26. The votes will be counted on Feb. 27.
If the vote favors union representation, Felt said, ‘We sit down down and bargain a labor agreement with the township. I’m sure they’re not afraid of doing that.?
It does not appear the petition to unionize was motivated by any hard feelings or dissatisfaction with the township.
‘There’s no major grievances or anything like that,? explained Beach, who joined the department as a paid-on-call firefighter in 1999. ‘There’s no one thing in particular.?
Beach, who’s been full-time since May 2004, said he and his fellow firefighters are simply choosing to exercise their legal rights.
‘It’s just something state law grants us that we are able to do and that’s really it,? he said. ‘I’m hoping that we can all sit down.?
The union issue won’t affect Frantz, who has taken a full-time position with the Oxford Fire Department, which he starts Jan. 26.
He will be replaced in Addison by firefighter/paramedic Joshua Wade, who hired in last year as a part-timer and serves as a paid-on-call member of the Romeo-Bruce Fire Department.
Addison officials didn’t have much to say about the possibility of having union-represented firefighters. ‘We talked to our attorney about it and he’s advised us to let him handle this subject,? said Supervisor Bob Koski.
‘I don’t tend to be a proponent of challenging it,? Davis said. ‘I think it’s within the people’s rights. That’s the way I view it.?
Fire Chief George Spencer, who wouldn’t be included in the proposed collective bargaining unit because he has his own employment contract with the township, declined to comment.
The only one who expressed an opinion was Jim Uicker, former chair of the fire board. ‘I’m rather disappointed about it,? said Uicker, who resigned last week after serving 10 years on the fire board (see story on page 15). ‘I find it a little nonsensical for three people to unionize, but that’s a personal opinion.?
He made it clear his resignation had nothing to do with the union issue. ‘It didn’t scare me off,? said Uicker, noting he’s dealt with unions in his professional life. ‘I have no difficulty working with unions.?