Arbitration Approaches in Orland Firefighter Contract Negotiations

Orland Fire Protection District firefighters and administrators may need outside help to come to a new firefighter contract agreement, with a Friday date set for arbitration if an agreement isn’t reached before.

Orland Firefighters Local 2754 has been in contract negotiations with the district since Sept. 2012 and the last contract expired on Dec. 31. On July 2, both sides sat down with an appointed arbitrator to make their cases for contract terms, offering counterpoints as well to each other’s cases, said Orland Fire Chief Ken Brucki, who felt both sides presented a fair argument.

“Obviously we have no idea what he would rule on,” Brucki said. “But he gave us some guidance and encouraged us to sit down and talk again. In his belief, we have enough on the table to reach an agreement. He encouraged us to continue to talk.”

Brucki said he had hoped to sit down once more with Local 2754 representatives before the upcoming Tuesday night fire trustees board meeting, but as of Friday afternoon, the two sides had not met again.

“We are still keeping [the date], unless something changes in the next few days,” said Local 2754 President Wally Rafacz. “We’re expecting arbitration.”

Brucki said the district would prefer not to go to arbitration, but if an agreement isn’t reached, they are prepared to do so.

“Nobody wins in arbitration,” Brucki said. “We’re very well prepared for that, but we know we don’t want to go there because we feel like we should reach an agreement, and I’m sure the union feels the same.”

Rafacz declined to say how the union felt about the negotiations, and said he will make more of a statement once an agreement is reached.

Orland Fire trustees met at a special meeting on July 9 to get an update on the negotiations and to offer input, Brucki said. No motions were voted on at the special meeting.

Brucki described the mediation meeting on July 2 as valuable toward reaching an agreement, but also noted it’s been a difficult process.

“It’s been emotional highs and emotional lows,” Brucki said about the negotiation process. “We’re talking about people’s lives, livelihoods and benefits. So we’ve gone through periods of time where it’s been tough. In the end we feel we have always maintained good faith negotiating no matter what the issues were. But it’s been challenging.”

The Orland Fire Protection District Board of Trustees meets next on Tuesday, July 23 at 5 p.m. at Administration Center, 9790 W. 151st Street in Orland Park.

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