Box 1, Folder 15, Document 17

Box 1, Folder 15, Document 17

ae,

The Atlanta Firefighters Union Independent will and are ready
at anytime to start negotiations with the Mayor of the City of
Atlanta. We have always been ready, The Atlanta Firefightera
have agreed to accept Dr. Erwin D. Harrison's report. This
we tried-to do before Friday, September 2.

Dr. Harrison, President, Georgia Institute of Technology, in
his mediator's report, gave the Union the option of a shorter
work-hour week or an increase in pay. The report was made
public, I will read in part from Dr, Harrison's report:

Option I: Reduce average work week from present 60 hours to one
of 56 hours, which permits a three-platoon operation. This is
a fairly common arrangement around the country. This reduction
in hours would be made without any change in total compensation
so that hourly rate would be effectively increased from the
present figure by an amount slightly above 7%. It should be
emphasized that under this Option the total pay would not be
increased (aside again from any future pay increase granted to
all City employees).

Option II: Maintain the present average work week of 60 hours and
to grant the presently employed firemen the fruits of the ine
crease in the total wage bill which would have resulted from the
necessary employment of additional firemen if Option I were
selected, This increase would amount to 7.14% to be granted on
an "across the board" basis, The Atlanta Firefighters chose
Option II, that the increase in pay start September 1 or be
retroactive from January 2, 1967 to September 1.

We were and are ready to accept the recommendations of
Paul J. Hallinan, Archbishop of the City of Atlanta, that the
question of legality be left in the hands of a Superior Court
Judge to act as arbitrator, and his findings be binding on
both parties,

\ .
The Mayor has refused to sit down with our Union at anytime
since August 31, and has refused any offer to end this dispute
by anyone, There are many important people who have tried in the
interest of public safety. We ask why has he refused,