MORGANTOWN – Members of unions representing Morgantown firefighters and police officers have voted “no confidence” in the entire city administration.
In a joint press release issued September 5, the unions said they have no belief the city “can competently administer public safety.”
The vote of no confidence is against Mayor and 4th Ward City Council Member Jennifer Selin, Deputy Mayor and 5th Ward Council Member Danielle Trumble, 1st Ward Council Member Joe Abu-Ghannam, 2nd Ward Council Member Bill Kawecki, 3rd Ward Council Member Ixya Vega,6th Ward Council Member Dave Harshbarger and 7th Ward Council Member Brian Butcher as well as City Manager A. Kim Haws, Assistant City Manager Emily Muzzarelli and Human Resources Director John Bihun.
Toriseva
The vote was by members of International Association of Fire Fighters Local 313 and the Mon-Preston Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 87.
“A city’s main function is to ensure citizen safety,” said Teresa Toriseva, the attorney for both unions. “Firefighters and police officers are always on duty. No matter how bad the employment conditions get, Morgantown police officers and firefighters show up to protect the city and its citizens.
“The citizens’ safety requires fully staffed police and fire departments, especially when WVU students are in school. Through so-called ‘HR policy,’ the city is creating a work environment hostile to its first responders that is diminishing staffing, recruiting, retention, and morale.”
In recent years, members of both unions have fought the city in court over policy and wage issues.
Some of those include when the city tried to create a civilian review board for police and when it refused to make a city wage and compensation study public. The FOP filed lawsuits in both of those matters.
“The city’s conduct toward its police officers is negatively affecting our ability to retain and recruit police officers,” said Brandon Viola, president of the Mon-Preston FOP. “Retention and recruitment are the ways our police department is able to meet the staffing requirements to protect and serve a city of this size.”
The IAFF local sued when the city failed to properly pay for holiday and overtime pay, and it says the city fails to meet national fire safety standards regarding staffing.
“A city’s failure to support its firefighters puts public safety at risk,” IAFF Local 313 President Mitchell Beall said. “Because of the city’s efforts to reduce our pay and benefits and its refusal to follow minimum fire safety standards, we have major retention and recruiting issues.”