The Columbus City Council has rejected a contract it approved in May with Dublin-based fire truck manufacturer Sutphen Corp. after the company’s workers’ union went on strike.
Columbus will instead purchase a truck from a non-local manufacturer.
The council voted unanimously, 9-0, to rescind its May approval of a contract with Sutphen for a ladder truck at its July 21 meeting. The new ordinance states that the city was never able to agree on a contract with Sutphen that included the conditions the council wanted. The council sought a contract that allowed the city to cancel if a strike delayed delivery of the truck or if the company used nonunion, or “scab,” workers.
After rescinding the Sutphen contract, the council voted unanimously to approve a contract with Atlantic Emergency Solutions to buy a different ladder truck made by Pierce Manufacturing. Columbus will spend a bit more on the new contract: $2,589,077 versus $2,515,613.
“The most important thing to this City Council is getting equipment to our firefighters,” said Councilmember Emmanuel Remy, chair of council’s Public Safety Committee.
In the background of this dispute over a single truck, the Columbus Local 67 chapter of the International Association of Fire Fighters has raised concerns that the city needs to replace aging fire trucks. Steven Stein, president of the union, went to the media in April and accused the city of inadequately funding fire trucks for years. The union asked the city to develop an aggressive plan to buy more trucks.
“The safety of our residents and the readiness of our firefighters must remain our top priority,” Columbus City Council President Shannon G. Hardin said in a statement. “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.”
Teamsters Local 284 represents about 85 workers at Sutphen Corp.’s Dublin facility who have gone without a contract since October. The workers went on strike in late May, less than a month after Teamsters Local 284 President Mark Vandak warned the Columbus City Council that labor negotiations were going poorly and a strike was possible.
The council, which is made up of nine Democrats, is heavily pro-union, and members have attempted to pressure Sutphen to negotiate in good faith with the Teamsters.
Following the council’s action, a spokesperson for the Sutphen Corp. issued the following statement:
“At Sutphen, our mission remains building the safest, most reliable fire apparatus in the world – not engaging in politics.
“We sat down with the City of Columbus to discuss contract terms and accepted nearly all the terms put forward, including a liquidated damages clause calculated by the Columbus Division of Public Safety and a preferential delivery schedule to meet the city’s needs. We 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.
“If and when the City of Columbus decides to purchase another fire apparatus from Sutphen Corporation, they know how to reach us.”
Remy said that after Sutphen workers went on strike, the company asked for 20 months, instead of the originally agreed-upon 14 months, to deliver the ladder truck.
“That’s just not acceptable. We needed these trucks yesterday,” Remy said. “We would have loved for the city’s historic relationship with Sutphen to provide for this ladder truck, and in the future, we hope they still can.”
Teamsters say Sutphen is punishing them for going to Columbus City Council
Vandak told The Dispatch that Sutphen returned to the bargaining table in June with a worse offer than the company presented in October.
“When the union asked Sutphen why it withdrew the proposal, company negotiators said it was because the union addressed Columbus City Council about the labor dispute and that cost them business,” Vandak said in an emailed statement. “The First Amendment of the United States Constitution and the National Labor Relations Act protect the rights of our members to address our elected officials. Sutphen’s conduct is outrageous.”
Vandak said Local 284 has filed additional unfair labor practice charges against Sutphen, which the National Labor Relations Board is currently investigating.
Meanwhile, Vandak said the strike in Dublin continues and the unfair labor practice picket line has expanded to Sutphen’s Hilliard and Urbana locations.
A timeline of the dispute over a fire truck contract
The meeting this week is the third time this year that the Columbus City Council has considered this fire truck contract.
On May 12, the council considered this contract with Sutphen for the first time. Vandak came to the meeting and asked the council to vote against the contract. He warned that a possible strike could delay the delivery of a truck. The council voted 5-4 against the contract.
A week later, on May 19, the council unanimously approved a contract as long as city staff was able to negotiate conditions the council was seeking, including provisions allowing them to cancel.
City staff was never able to reach an agreement with Sutphen on a contract.
On May 28, workers at Sutphen’s Dublin facility announced that they were striking.
In June, Vandak said that Sutphen continued to delay negotiating and had brought in nonunion workers, or “scabs,” from its Urbana facility.
He said the company has come back to the negotiation table now, but continues to bargain in bad faith.
This story was updated based on Monday evening’s Columbus City Council meeting.
Government and politics reporter Jordan Laird can be reached at jlaird@dispatch.com. Follow her on X, Instagram and Bluesky at @LairdWrites.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Columbus Council rejects fire truck contract amid Dublin company’s worker strike
Reporting by Jordan Laird, Columbus Dispatch / The Columbus Dispatch
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