Special City Council Meeting for Collective Bargaining with Firefighters Union

The Cheyenne City Council held a special meeting on August 15, 2024, to renegotiate the collective bargaining agreement with the Cheyenne Professional Firefighters, IAFF Local 279. The negotiation focused on updating the contract to reflect changes from a SAFER grant, new training academy procedures, staffing flexibility, and other operational adjustments. Both sides reached an agreement after presenting their proposals.

Discussion Items

• City's Proposals: The city presented several changes to the contract definitions and terms:
  • Replace references to the Front Range Fire Consortium with a statewide Wyoming fire academy and local cadre training instructor positions to reflect new training practices.
  • Adjust staffing for the ladder truck to allow a single engineer instead of two when flexibility is needed, while maintaining the same number of engineers per shift.
  • Modify the squad and support definitions to require one step-two firefighter instead of two, and prohibit a probationary firefighter on the squad.
  • Extend the contract term to end June 30, 2025 (from previous July 1, 2023 termination).
  • Add a management right to address organizational risks (financial crisis, disasters, cyber incidents).
  • Update minimum staffing from 92 to 100 personnel, with at least 29 firefighters per shift, reflecting the SAFER grant.
  • Update pay scales and sick leave language to account for differences between daytime and platoon personnel.
• Union's Response: The union expressed appreciation for the two-year contract and the city's flexibility. They agreed to the proposed changes and did not request additional modifications. The union noted that the next contract negotiation will begin in February 2025, with a new contract effective July 1, 2025.
• Council Deliberation: The governing body was already familiar with the ground rules and proposals. Mayor Collins asked if a caucus was needed; the union representative stated it was unnecessary, and the council agreed.

Key Outcomes

• Agreement Reached: Both parties agreed to the proposed amendments without a formal vote during the special meeting. The union and city representatives signed the ground rules and expressed mutual appreciation.
• Next Steps: The city clerk will place the amended contract on the agenda for the next regular city council meeting for formal approval.

Note: The agenda and transcript list the meeting date as August 12, 2024, but the provided date is August 15, 2024.