Excerpts from theDailyHerald.com: The Elgin firefighters' union has filed a labor complaint against the city after three members were ordered to cut their hair, which they had grown as a symbolic protest over the 25-month absence of a collective bargaining agreement. Vince Rychtanek, president of the International Association of Firefighters Local 439, along with Vice President Edward Hanson and Shop Steward Joe Villella, began growing their hair in early 2015 to draw attention to the long-standing lack of a contract. The issue remains under arbitration. According to Rychtanek, the three firefighters were recently instructed by their superiors to cut their hair. Villella complied first, followed by Rychtanek and Hanson last week. However, the union's February 9th complaint is not about the length of their hair itself, but rather about the department implementing new grooming policies without prior negotiation with the union. "We were all ordered to cut our hair. We're not going to disobey an order," Rychtanek said. "Grooming policies are generally considered a mandatory subject for bargaining across the country." Fire Chief John Fahy explained that the department's policy requires members to maintain a "neat and clean" appearance. He clarified that the order to cut hair was specifically directed at Edward Hanson, who did not comply when asked by his battalion chief. Villella had already cut his hair earlier in the year after a conversation with a former assistant chief, while Rychtanek complied after being approached by his own battalion chief. "Rychtanek’s and Hanson’s hair got pretty out of hand — shaggy, unkempt, and long," Fahy said. "Their battalion chiefs told them, 'You need to meet the policy.'" Fire departments across the country have varying grooming standards, ranging from basic rules like those in Elgin to more detailed regulations on hair length, piercings, and tattoos, according to Fahy. "We don’t have a hair problem within the Elgin Fire Department," he said. "We have 133 members, and only three who are upset about the arbitration process." Rychtanek agreed that the issue is fundamentally about the stalled contract. "Ultimately, we want the city to sit down and negotiate," he said. "It’s not about growing our hair long." The contract is currently in arbitration due to a dispute over minimum staffing requirements, Rychtanek noted. "It's despicable that firefighters have gone over two years without a contract," he said. "This is the way the city negotiates — they push everything into arbitration." Thanks, Dan Alloy steel plate is stronger than conventional carbon steel.
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Elgin firefighters file grievance
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