CITIZENS LEAGUE REPORT

No. 148

Minneapolis City Review of Fire and Police Pay & W o r k Policies

November I962

Citizens League of Plinneapolis and Hennepin County 545 Wobil O i l Building Minneapolis 2 , Minnesota REPORT FROM: SUBJECT:

Citizens League Board of Directors

P r o ~ o s e dindependent review of Minneapolis f i r e and police pay and work policies.

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BACKGROUND AND RECENT DFVELOPMENTS

The r e j e c t i o n by t h e voters of Minneapolis yesterday of proposed Charter Amendment #18 does not necessarily r e f l e c t v o t e r s a t i s f a c t i o n with t h e present pay o r working conditions of Minneapolis firemen and policemen. The r e j e c t i o n of t h e proposed amendment merely i n d i c a t e s t h a t t h e v o t e r s of Minneapolis do n o t wish t h e s e pay p o l i c i e s t o be incorporated i n t h e c i t y c h a r t e r , a t l e a s t n o t a t t h e minimum l e v e l s provided f o r under t h e formula contained i n Amendment #18. The basic question of hhether present pay l e v e l s a r e f a i r and adequate remains unanswered. During t h e course of t h e oliscussion of t h e merits of Amendment #18, sev e r a l important policy questions were r a i s e d , questions t h e answers t o which e i t h e r continue i n d i s p u t e o r have n o t been provided s a t i s f a c t o r i l y . It i s important t h a t answers t o these questions be found, both from t h e standpoint of t h e general public and Minneapolis firemen and policemen themselves. These questions include t h e f o l lowing : 1.

!;.hat i s an adeauate pay f o r kinneapolis firemen and policemen? How should t h s pay of firemen and policemen be r e l a t e d t o t h a t of other c i t y employees and t o t h a t paid firemen and policemen i n other c i t i e s ? The 1953 Piinneapolis City Council-appointed Citizens Salary Survey Commission made both a majority and a minority recommendation. The majority recommended that t h e maximum pay r a t e f o r patrolmen and f i r e f i g h t e r s should be based on t h e midpoint between t h e r a t e of pay f o r permanently-employed l a b o r e r s i n outside employment and t h e average r a t e of pay f o r building t r a d e s craftsmen under t h e j u r i s d i c t i o n of t h e City Council. The minority r e p o r t recommended t h a t t h e maximum r a t e of pay should be 8j$ of t h e average cons t r u c t i o n t r a d e r a t e i n the AGC contracts f o r bricklayer, carpenter, e l e c t r i c i a n , p i p e f i t t e r , plumber, sheet metal worker, s t r u c t u r a l i r o n worker, roofer and painter. The City Council s ~ b s e q u e n t l yadopted t h e minority recommendation a s i t s guiding policy, with t h e modification t h a t the Council would base i t s conparision on wage r a t e s of municipal employees i n these c r a f t s , r a t h e r than workers i n p r i v a t e industry. During t h e past few years the pay of firemen and policemen, i n accordance with t h i s policy, has remained r e l a t i v e l y close t o 8j$ of t h e pay of t h e c i t y employees i n these e i g h t c r a f t s . The f i r e and police union leadership, on t h e other hand, f e e l s t h i s amount i s inadequate and i s not self-enforcing, and t h a t a f a i r pay f o r firemen and policemen i s t h e average pay (not a maximum of 85%) of t h e c i t y employees i n t h e s e e i g h t c r a f t s .

2.

%hat i s t h e m o p e r r e l a t i o n s h i p between t h e pay of Minneapolis f i r e f i g h t e r s and patrolmen and t h a t of s u ~ e r v i s o r ypersonnel i n t h e F i r e and P o l i c e De?artments? Comparative d a t a from o t h e r major c i t i e s throughout t h e country show t h a t supervisory personnel i n t h e Minneapolis P o l i c e and F i r e Departments a r e given l e s s recognition i n terms of s a l a r y d i f f e r e n t i a l cbove t h a t paid patrolmen and f i r e f i g h t e r s than i n most o t h e r large cities.

3.

hhat i s t h e value of l l i n n e a ~ o l i sf i r e and p o l i c e f r i n g e b e n e f i t s ? Considerable disagreement e x i s t s with r e s p e c t t o t h e value, i n terms of c o s t t o t h e taxpayer, of t h e f i r e and p o l i c e f r i n g e benef i t s . The Minneapolis City Council Coordinatorqs o f f i c e e s t i m a t e s t h e c o s t of f i r e and p o l i c e f r i n g e b e n e f i t s a t i n excess of 305 of t o t a l salary. The f i r e and p o l i c e union l e a d e r s h i p c a t e g o r i c a l l y r e j e c t s t h i s estimate a s e x o r b i t a n t , and has contended t h e i r f r i n g e b e n e f i t s amount t o only 8.3% of t o t a l pay.

4.

Is t h e p r e s e n t c a l i b e r of f i r e and p o l i c e personnel adequate? Although t h e r e appears t o be general agreement t h a t t h e performance l e v e l a t e x i s t i n g pay of both Minneapolis F i r e and P o l i c e Departments ranks among t h e b e s t among major c i t i e s , f i r e and p o l i c e union l e a d e r s contend t h a t it i s important t o r a i s e f u r t h e r t h e c a l i b e r of firemen and policemen.

5 . Do p r e s e n t ?Ttnneapolis f i r e and p o l i c e physical and r e s i d e n t requirements need r e v i s i o n ? Considerable support e x i s t s f o r e l i m i n a t i n g a number of requirements f o r q u a l i f i c a t i o n a s a Minneapolis policeman o r fireman. Some, including t h e I$inneanolis P o l i c e Chief P a t Walling and t h e C i t i z e n s League, have urged a b o l i t i o n of t h e requirement t h a t app l i c a n t s be r e s i d e n t s of t h e City of 24inneapolis. Some have suggested a review of t h e physical requirements, such a s minimum h e i g h t requirements. Others have urged modification of v e t e r a n s q preference. These a r e b u t a few examples of requirements which shculd be reviewed.

6.

Do ~ r e s e n tf l r e and p o l i c e work in^ conditions and procedures need revision? Recent weeks have seen considerable discussion of t h e working cond i t i o n s of Ninneapolis firemen and policemen. Some have suggested t h a t t h e present 60-hour work week f o r firemen should be changed. There have been suggestions t h a t policemen should not have t o purchase firearms, b u l l e t s , e t c . The C i t y Council i t s e l f has cons i d e r e d using non-uniformed personnel f o r c e r t a i n f u n c t i o n s , such a s i s s u i n g t a g s f o r parking meter v i o l a t i o n s . These a r e j u s t a few of t h e i s s u e s which have been discussed t o give an i d e a of t h e tjrpe of work conditions and procedures which might be reviewed.

A number of important policy questions have been r a i s e d b u t not answered during t h e course of t h e c a ~ p a i g non Charter Amendment #18. The policemen and f i r e men n a t u r a l l y a r e most unhapgy over t h e outcome. The community has turned the proposal down but a s of now has provided no procedure under which t h e i r complaints and d i s s a t i s f a c t i o n s can be heard and reviewed.

It would be both unfortunate and unnecessary t o leave t h e s e questions i n t h e i r present s t a t e of doubt. The community has an o b l i g a t i o n t o i n s i s t t h a t t h e complaints and recommendations made by t h e f i r e and p o l i c e union leadership a r e It i s heard and given c a r e f u l consideration a t t h e e a r l i e s t p r a c t i c a l time. equally important t h a t o t h e r questions r a i s e d by t h e opposition t o Amendment #18 be given t h e same kind of consideration.

1. We urge t h e Kinneapolis C i t y Council t o t a k e prompt s t e p s leading t o an i m p a r t i a l and p r o f e s s i o n a l review of t h e i s s u e s which have been raised. We bel i e v e t h a t such a review can r e s u l t i n findings and recommendations which would receive broad public acceptance a s well a s t h e support of members of t h e Minneapolis F i r e and Police Departments. There a r e a number of ways i n which t h i s type of independent and p r o f e s s i o n a l review can be made, and we leave t o t h e judgment of t h e City Council t h e choice of t h e most appropriate procedure. However, we r e s p e c t f u l l y suggest consideration of t h e appointment by t h e Council of a broadly r e p r e s e n t a t i v e c i t i z e n s committee working with p r o f e s s i o n a l manzgement consultants as one s a t i s f a c t o r y method of accomplishing t h e d e s i r e d objective.

2 . he urge t h a t t h e independent and p r o f e s s i o n a l review include consid e r a t i o n o f , among o t h e r s , t h e following policy questions: a.

Are e x i s t i n g s a l a r i e s paid Minneapolis firemen and policemen adequate? How should t h e proper r e l a t i o n s h i p f o r pay s c a l e s f o r public s a f e t y employees with those of other c i t y employees be determined.

b.

Is t h e e x i s t i n g pay s c a l e of supervisory personnel i n t h e Minnea p o l i s F i r e and Police Departnents adequate? How should pay of su?ervisory personnel r e l a t e t o t h a t of patrolmen and firemen?

c.

!\hat i s t h e value of t h e f i r e and p o l i c e f r i n g e b e n e f i t s i n terms of c o s t t o t h e taxpzyer? How should t h e c o s t of t h e s e f r i n g e b e n e f i t s be r e l a t e d t o a r r i v i n g a t an e q u i t a b l e s a l a r y f o r f i r e men and policemen?

d.

Are t h e l%.nneapolis F i r e and P o l i c e Departments a t t r a c t i n g and r e t a i n i n g a s u f f i c i e n t number of high c a l i b e r personnel t o ass u r e continuance of an adequate l e v e l of f i r e and p o l i c e protect i o n f o r our covmunity?

e.

Do e x i s t i n g physical requirements preclude many otherwise q u a l i f i e d a o p l i c a n t s from becoming Minneapolis policemen o r f i r e fighters?

f.

Should t h e requirement of Ninneapolis residency f o r a p p l i c a n t s t o t h e P o l i c e and F i r e Departments be abolished?

g.

Should v e t e r a n s ' p r e f e r e n c e laws 'be modified, and if s o i n what way ?

h.

Should p r e s e n t working c o n d i t i o n s , namely a 60-hour work week f o r f i r e n e n and a @-hour week f o r policemen, be changed?

i.

Should Minneapolis policemen continue t o be r e q u i r e d t o provide and pay f o r c e r t a i n equipment themselves?

j.

Can t h e e f f i c i e n c y of t h e P o l i c e and F i r e Departments be improved through a d m i n i s t r a t i v e o r procedural changes i n t h e method of performing t h e i r assignments?

3 . lie d i r e c t t h e League P r e s i d e n t t o t r a n s m i t a copy of t h i s r e p o r t t o t h e o f f i c e r s of t h e Minneapolis F i r e and P o l i c e J o i n t Council, with t h e i n v i t a t i o n t h a t , should t h e y concur with t h e viewpoints expressed, t h e y j o i n u s i n urging t h e C i t y Council t o t a k e t h e recommended a c t i o n .