DeKalb firefighters and city officials accused each other of bargaining in bad faith during recent contract negotiations, and both parties have filed complaints with the Illinois State Labor Relations Board.

“(The city is) playing around and trying to subvert the taxpayers’ laws instead of negotiating fairly,” said Steve Reid, president of the International Association of Firefighters Local 1236. The union filed two charges of unfair labor practices with the ISLRB last week.

Gary Boden, DeKalb assistant city manager and the city’s chief negotiator, said the city filed charges with the ISLRB Tuesday.

“We feel the (firefighters’) union has repeatedly made statements about taking it (collective bargaining) to arbitration,” Boden said. “That’s usurping the bargaining process.”

The city offered firefighters a 2.5 percent pay increase and reduced benefits for fiscal year 1989. It offered other bargaining units a 4.5 percent pay increase.

“The city did not bargain in good faith in the past,” said Reid, referring to the recent arbitration decision awarding the firefighters a 4.5 percent pay increase for FY88. “If we went to arbitration (with FY89 complaints), we would win.”

Reid said the proposed contract reduces firefighters’ benefits by 15 to 20 percent.

Boden said the city based the contract terms on the productivity and responsibility and disagreed about the amount of reduced benefits.

“That’s a subject of interpretation of how you cost-out the contract,” Boden said.

Reid said the city is conducting unfair practices and “trying to destabilize the union.” The city did not respond quickly in paying union wages awarded for FY88, he said.

The increases were implemented shortly after the final decision was filed on June 24 with the state board, Boden said.