Columbus council approves firetruck purchase with Sutphen a week after rejecting it
A week after a divided Columbus City Council rejected buying an essential firetruck over a dispute between the local supplier and its union, the council approved the purchase on May 19.
All eight present members voted to authorize the negotiation of a $2.5 million contract for a ladder truck with The Sutphen Corp., a Dublin-based manufacturer that supplies most of Columbus' firetrucks. Councilmember Lourdes Barroso De Padilla was absent.
The passed ordinance includes new provisions allowing the city to cancel or impose fees if Sutphen cannot deliver the truck on time. The legislation also asks city staff to negotiate so that the use of nonunion workers, or scabs, would constitute a breach of contract.
Councilmember Emmanuel Remy, Public Safety Committee chair, told The Dispatch that this new ordinance reflects the council's priorities that union workers' rights are respected.
"But more importantly, we're trying to protect our investment," Remy said.
Last week, five members voted against a similar ordinance at the request of Mark Vandak, president of Teamsters Local 284, which represents Sutphen employees. He told the council that the ongoing labor dispute could lead to a strike and, thus, delays in fulfilling contracts. Already, firetrucks often take over a year to build.
Sutphen employees have filed seven unfair labor practice charges against Sutphen since August 2023 and have been working without a contract since October 2024. The company settled with the National Labor Relations Board in April.
Shelby Sutphen Chambers, president of The Sutphen Corp., sent all council members a letter on May 15 that addressed some of the concerns they voiced last week. She contradicted Vandak and said negotiations are "ongoing and active."
Even council members who voted initially for the contract with Sutphen said they did so to support the Division of Fire and still expressed frustration with Sutphen for poor communication with the Teamsters.
Sutphen Chambers wrote in her letter that Sutphen "in addition to previous outreach," reached out to restart bargaining on May 13, the day after the council voted down the contract. She said Sutphen and the Teamsters have agreed on five dates within the next 70 days to hold bargaining discussions.
"We want to reiterate that being in business for 135 years means taking the long-term approach. Every decision our Sutphen family makes is to ensure that both our business and our team members have a sustainable future - not just the next 6 to 12 months, but for the next 135 years," she said.
Remy said that the next date set for bargaining is June 23 and he understands that the Teamsters are seeking an earlier date, which he supports.
In an emailed statement, Sutphen Chambers said:
"Having worked with the Columbus Division of Fire for decades, Sutphen looks forward to continuing our long-standing relationship by providing life-saving equipment to our city's first responders.'
Vandak told The Dispatch that Local 284 supports the new ordinance.
"Local 284 supports the new language in the ordinance for the purchase of a single fire apparatus, language that protects the city and taxpayers from the effects of further misconduct by The Sutphen Corp."
However, Vandak said that the letter sent to the city council contains multiple inaccuracies.
President Pro Tempore Rob Dorans said during the meeting that he still has serious concerns that Sutphen will negotiate in good faith with the union.
Related: Columbus fire truck shortage reaching critical state, local firefighter union says
This City Hall fight with Sutphen came about a month after Steven Stein, president of the Columbus Local 67 chapter of the International Association of Fire Fighters, went to the media to accuse the city of inadequately funding firetrucks for years.
"Our needs are clear," he told The Dispatch before the meeting. "I generally expect the Columbus City Council to make sure our firefighters have the tools they need to deliver vital services to the citizens of Columbus, who we're privileged to serve."
Remy said before the meeting that the Division of Fire does need more and better fire trucks, and the council is working to ensure firefighters have them.
(This story was updated to add a comment from Shelby Sutphen Chambers.)
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 City Council approves firetruck after Teamsters dispute
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