The more I read to this, the more I'm realizing that this grievance has a lot more to do with the city's poor relationship with its workers than it does with who filled what sandbag.

 

Here's the thing: if the city needs emergency sandbagging, and that work is in the purview of the Public Works department, they should be called in to do the work first, and then the Fire Department second. The grievance seems to be the opposite of what was actually done. Rather than calling in the people that the city pays to do this work, they called in the Fire Department.

 

The union for its part alleges that this isn't the first time that this kind of thing has been done either. Then you have the chairman of the city personnel committee saying that all the public works department does is file grievances instead of actual work - so it points to a poor relationship in general I think.

 

Actual article : http://www.wiscnews.com/bnr/news/293360

Why were the Public Works employees not out there ANYWAY filling bags. Were they only going to save the town if they got paid?

Why were the Public Works employees not out there ANYWAY filling bags. Were they only going to save the town if they got paid?

 

Some of them were called. Many of them may have been out there regardless. There's no way you or I will get to know that. If they were out there, they didn't get paid for it. The Fire Department is paid for it, however.

And I would like to see the town's disaster plan.

Some of them were called. Many of them may have been out there regardless. There's no way you or I will get to know that. If they were out there, they didn't get paid for it. The Fire Department is paid for it, however.

The volunteer fire department was paid for it? That would be news to me, and I've volunteered as an EMT. Most volunteers in those departments get paid no, or very little, money, regardless of the number of hours they work.

 

The city pays the Department a fee for each emergency that they are called out for.

The city pays the Department a fee for each emergency that they are called out for.

Of course they do. The department couldn't function otherwise. But the actual firefighters wouldn't get paid, as they are volunteers. That money goes to equipment, supplies, training, etc. That's the way most volunteer fire departments work.

 

I understand that. And I think what the union grievance may be pointing towards is that the city may be honoring its contract with the VFD, but not the DPW.