Judge: City must aid firefighters' health-care fund

AS THE NUTTER administration and firefighters union get ready to duke it out in state Commonwealth Court, a Philadelphia judge has ordered the city to make a lump-sum payment of $6.7 million to the union's health-care fund, as well as increase its monthly contribution to the fund.

Local 22 of the International Association of Fire Fighters asked Common Pleas Judge Idee Fox to make the city implement an arbitration award that the Nutter administration is appealing to Commonwealth Court. Fox ruled yesterday that the city must step up its aid for the distressed health-care fund but did not touch the rest of the award, which also includes retroactive pay raises.

Mayor Nutter described the ruling as "a bit of a split decision" because Fox did not order the full award to be implemented.

"That's the second time that that kind of relief has been pursued," Nutter said of the firefighters' attempts. "That did not happen . . . which I think points out the larger issue, which is clearly many unresolved issues that are quite significant."

Local 22 president Joe Schulle said the union's health-care fund has dwindled during stalled contract talks from $28 million in 2009 to $2 million as of June.

Without increased city contributions, he said, the union would have to cut benefits for firefighters or ask them to start paying $300 to $400 per month.

The ruling requires the city to increase its monthly contribution to the fund from $1,270 per employee to $1,619 per employee.

"We're thankful to Judge Fox for siding with us on this issue," Schulle said. "It reaffirms the court's belief that the contract is fair and affordable, and that these are benefits that the firefighters and paramedics have earned, and that they shouldn't have to fight for what they've earned."

The firefighters, like the city's nonuniformed blue- and white-collar unions, have been working without a contract since 2009.

The administration has continually appealed decisions favorable to the union, arguing that the city cannot afford contracts without substantial savings in health-care and pension costs.

The Commonwealth Court case begins Sept. 11 in Harrisburg.

Source: Philly.com