Columbus City Council voted Monday night to halt efforts to buy a new $2.5 million fire truck from a Dublin company and instead try and purchase a new truck from a Wisconsin company.
The 85 workers with Teamsters Local 284 are still striking against Dublin-based fire truck manufacturer Sutphen. When council approved buying the ladder truck, it stipulated it would cancel the contract if the union dispute wasn't resolved.
The city stopped the purchase after the company and the city were never able to agree on a contract. The company estimated the strike could push back delivery of a new fire truck to seven months.
Instead, city council voted to approve a new contract with Atlantic Emergency Solutions for a ladder truck made by Pierce Manufacturing, a company based in Appleton, Wisconsin. That truck will be moderately more expensive than the Sutphen truck, totaling $2,589,077 compared to $2,515,613.
City Councilmember Emmanuel Remy, who chairs council's Public Safety Committee, said council made this decision when Sutphen said they couldn't meet a 14 month timeline to deliver a new fire truck to the city. Remy said firefighters urgently need this equipment and the city wasn't willing to risk unnecessary delays.
"(Sutphen) was only willing to agree to a 20-month timeline. That is simply unacceptable. We need this ladder truck yesterday," Remy said.
No other councilmembers spoke on the topic Monday. Council President Shannon Hardin sent a statement before the meeting.
“The safety of our residents and the readiness of our firefighters must remain our top priority. Sutphen Corporation was not able to reach a timely agreement under the conditions Council previously approved," Hardin said. "Given the urgent needs raised by our Division of Fire, we must move forward with a new contract to ensure our firefighters have the equipment they need to protect our growing city as soon as possible."
The Sutphen workers have been on strike since late May, demanding Sutphen approve a new contract with fair wages. It's been almost two years since the workers say they got a raise.
The strike is delaying production at a time when Columbus firefighters say they are in dire need of new trucks for the city's fleet. Sutphen is historically the primary manufacturer Columbus has purchased trucks from.
When city council members approved purchasing a fire truck from Sutphen, they added a caveat. Under the contract, the city can levy fees or cancel the purchase if the truck doesn't arrive on time.
The original ordinance also stipulated that city staff will negotiate with Sutphen so that the company will not use non-union workers.
Sutphen said in a statement Monday evening it will remain focused on building fire apparatus and "not engaging in politics." The company said it never heard back from city officials regarding a counteroffer or official notice of denial.
"As a 135-year-old, family-owned and operated fire apparatus manufacturer headquartered in central Ohio, we remain ready to partner with the city of Columbus. We are proud of our long-standing relationship with the Columbus Division of Fire and will continue to support the maintenance and readiness of their existing fleet," the statement said.
The company said if and when the city decides to purchase another fire apparats from Sutphen, the city knows how to reach them.
