County Council members started discussing a potential work group Tuesday that will examine working conditions, collective bargaining and other topics between the county firefighters union and county officials.
The work group is in response to Question D, a ballot measure that passed with more than 70 percent of the vote last November. That measure expands collective bargaining matters for the county’s career firefighters, and adds an ordinance for binding arbitration, by a neutral arbitrator funded in the county budget.
More than half a dozen Career Firefighters Association of Frederick County members were present at Tuesday’s meeting, listening to council discussion.
Councilwoman Jessica Fitzwater (D), who started the discussion Tuesday, told other council members the county code’s current collective bargaining language is “bare-bones.”