Ocean City Signs Deal With Union

OCEAN CITY – Just a little over two years since the first
multi-year labor agreement concerning collective bargaining was approved and
signed by members of the Fraternal Order of Police (FOP), the Career
Firefighters and Paramedics of Ocean City, International Association of
Firefighters (IAFF) Local 4269 have done so as well, making history once again.

Michael Maykrantz, president of the Career Firefighters
and Paramedics of Ocean City, IAFF Local 4269, spoke on behalf of the men and
women who risk their lives every day doing their jobs, praising the town’s
efforts just as he did when the FOP achieved its goal years ago.

“Today I’m proud to say that the Career Firefighters and
Paramedics Association of Ocean City is part of the International Association
of Firefighters,” he said. “We are part of more than 4,000 locals and 280,000
firefighters and emergency medical personnel who protect 85 percent of the
nation’s population.”

He went on to say how the IAFF has been the driving force
behind nearly every advance in fire and emergency medical services and
continues to be a leader in the establishment of professional standards.

“This day represents an important day in the evolution of
fire and emergency medical services in Ocean City,” he added.

The contract itself was signed after the Mayor and City
Council ratified the collective bargaining agreement that is slated to begin on
July 1. The contract will raise the salaries for a few positions such as the fire
marshal as well as raise the wage scale in other areas.

Mayor Rick Meehan also spoke on the agreement, saying the
two-and-a-half months of negotiations were a good experience for both the
department as well as the city.

“We came together and we had some differences and
differences of opinion but I think we worked through those and through a series
of meetings over a period of time we gained consensus on a contract for a
three-year period that I think is beneficial for your department and the town
of Ocean City,” he said. “The service you provide to our community is
invaluable.”

The multi-year agreement between the two parties is just
the second of its kind following the first by the FOP back in April of 2005.
The idea for the multi-year contract with the FOP arose when it was time to
renew the single-year contract that was signed in 2004.

However, things weren’t always easy as it took the FOP 17
years to get that first one-year agreement, the first in Ocean City’s history
and a footstep for others such as the Career Firefighters and Paramedics of
Ocean City to follow.