City rejects firefighter union grievance

The city of Havre has rejected a request from the International Association of Fire Fighters that it remove a letter of reprimand from the personnel file of firefighter D.J. Olsen.

Olsen was written up by Fire Chief Tim Hedges for insubordination and a series of lesser incidents.

Olsen said they were just misunderstandings, and the matters had been set aside until he filed a complaint with the city about Assistant Fire Chief Mel Paulson's alleged abusive conduct.

The union brought their case to two City Council meetings in recent weeks. Both declined to

take any action.

The council's Labor Committee chair Brian Barrows said at Monday night's council meeting that after listening to both sides, his committee decided to defend the managers in their actions.

Mayor Tim Solomon had already turned down the union appeal.

"Obviously we are very disappointed," said Cody McLean, the union's Grievance Committee chair, told the council Monday

night.

He said the union would proceed with its plans to take the grievance to arbitration.

But Solomon said the city could fight an arbitration effort.

He said the city attorney had advised the city that the union did not have arbitration rights in this case.

Under questioning by McLean, the mayor refused to elaborate.

But at an earlier meeting, city officials said the arbitration right was granted under the union contract only when the disciplinary action involved termination of employment or suspension.

McLean differed and said the union would move forward with its plans for arbitration.

The union has argued that the reprimand was unfair, that Olsen was a good firefighter and was undeserving of the punishment.

Firefighters said written reprimands are rare in the fire department. Public discussions are even more rare, but Olsen waived his right to privacy guaranteed under Montana law.