County, firefighters now working together

There is no question that there are many hard-working, honest firefighters who deserve our respect and gratitude. They are, in the eyes of many, heroes, just as police officers, teachers and nurses are heroes.

But there also is no question that many have gamed the system and ripped taxpayers off for millions of dollars by falsely claiming to be sick. No one should be able to get away with the kind of conduct and manipulation of authority so prevalent in the firefighter abuse scandal.

Had any employee of a private company written the same e-mails county firefighters wrote their supervisors, they would have been fired on the spot. If I, as a public official, had done anything close to that kind of behavior, it would have been on the front page of every newspaper in Nevada.

Why, then, do some firefighters feel they should be above every other worker in Nevada? Given special rights no other employee enjoys?

Yes, they do a very difficult and important job. They are, however, well compensated for the risks they take, and it is a job they chose to do.

The decision by arbitrators in favor of firefighters who had been removed from their positions has very little to do with right and wrong. The arbitrators returned the employees to work because other employees had not been given the same punishment for similar acts. Never did they say the firefighters were justified for abusing sick leave and "gaming" the system for overtime pay.

The county's arbitration award led to important procedural changes that eliminated 57,000 annual sick leave hours. In the next contract, the county and the fire union partnered to make discipline and termination for sick leave abuse much simpler and easier to enforce. The problems that plagued our department are, I hope, a thing of the past.

Due to new contract language, taxpayers should not see this kind of sick leave abuse again. Other contractual changes, such as elimination of longevity for new hires, will result in $60 million in savings over 25 years.

In addition, millions of dollars have been saved that can be used for other programs, like putting Nevadans back to work and helping those who have lost their homes to foreclosure.

Ever since my election to the Clark County Commission, I have successfully worked with several public employee groups. Many have agreed to cuts and reductions in their contracts, just like private sector employees have had to endure. The Clark County firefighters, however, did not come to the table quickly. At first, even with the deepening economic crisis, they refused to give concessions, potentially crippling the county and its ability to provide for its citizens.

It is this kind of behavior that caused the "backlash" that currently exists. Whether the rank-and-file agreed or not, the union leadership appeared disconnected and unwilling to help the county in its time of need.

That attitude has changed, however, and now county leaders and firefighters are working together to make sure future contracts better reflect the true economic picture and a careful stewardship of taxpayer funds. That willingness to compromise and understand the hardships so many Nevadans are enduring will go a long way to restoring the respect Clark County residents have always had for their firefighters.

Steve Sisolak, a Democrat, represents District A on the Clark County Commission.