An intriguing article from ThePressEnterprise.com caught my attention regarding San Bernardino's plans to outsource its fire services following municipal bankruptcy. This move is central to the city's broader strategy for financial recovery, which heavily involves privatizing certain public services.
Just recently, on August 6th, a federal judge declined the city firefighters' urgent plea to halt the city's progress toward contracting out fire services. As part of the city's bankruptcy plan, the intention is to hand over the fire department operations to an external agency. City leaders intend to present bids from both the San Bernardino County Fire Department and a private company at their meeting scheduled for August 24th. According to City Manager Allen Parker, the recommendation will lean towards selecting the county.
In response, the San Bernardino City Professional Firefighters filed an emergency motion on August 5th, seeking a temporary restraining order to prevent the city from proceeding. Corey Glave, representing the firefighters’ union, emphasized the need for such a measure to preserve the current employment status quo and avoid potential layoffs until the bankruptcy court could review the matter.
During Thursday's hearing in U.S. District Court in Riverside, Judge Meredith Jury concluded that the union hadn’t demonstrated sufficient urgency for an emergency ruling. She pointed out that actual layoff notices would need to be issued for the situation to meet the criteria for an emergency. Judge Jury expressed her preference for a more comprehensive legal process that allows ample time for arguments to be fully discussed and evaluated.
She has agreed to revisit the union’s request at a hearing scheduled for September 17th, during which she will also address whether the city is legally bound to negotiate with the union regarding the outsourcing initiative. Paul Glassman, San Bernardino’s bankruptcy attorney, assured that no layoffs are expected before that date.
This marks the second time the fire union has tried to block the city's outsourcing scheme. In a previous ruling last month, Judge Jury determined that the city charter does not prohibit such actions, contrary to the union's claims.
City authorities assert that under the proposed outsourcing plan, existing firefighters would have the option to retain their positions, although the union highlighted that job security isn't guaranteed for everyone.
Judge Jury's recent decision permits the city to proceed with selecting a provider and beginning discussions. Should the city council opt for the county, they will submit an application to the Local Agency Formation Commission by September 1st to incorporate the city into the fire district. This process would involve multiple months of hearings and deliberations by the commission, which handles boundary adjustments.
For those interested, you can find a prior post addressing this issue [here].
While this situation unfolds, it remains a critical moment for both the city and its firefighters as they navigate these unprecedented challenges.
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