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2781 <br />of September 23addressed to him included nothing. about <br />negotiating. Warkentien stated that the council cannot <br />at this point negotiate for the Fire Department and that <br />plans for going strictly on a volunteer fire department <br />basis had been discussed previous to any letter regarding <br />negotiations. Further that the matter has to be resolved <br />presently inasmuch as the 1969 budget must be prepared and <br />the county auditor notified by October 10, 1968 as to the <br />amount to levy for 1969. <br />~Mr. Prifrel stated the council has a right to operate <br />economically and he commended councilmen for trying to do <br />so. Village Attorney Seed asked if negotiations could be <br />opened for two employees, leaving firemen until question <br />is resolved. Prifrel was not agreeable to negotiate for <br />only t~+ro. If the council is willing to negotiate for all <br />the employees, Prifrel stated he would be willing to withdraw <br />the injunction. <br />It was stated that the Council is ready and willing to <br />negotiate for the two employees, namely the deputy clerk <br />and maintenance man, but at this time council is not in <br />a position to negotiate insofar as the three paid firemen <br />are concerned. Prifrel, being the representative of all <br />the employees, stated he cannot negotiate for only some <br />of the employees. He stated his request for negotiation <br />was for all employees and he could not enter any thought <br />or feeling that he disown any of the employees or negotiate <br />separately for them on the impression that the village <br />council is attempting to ,eliminate some jobs. <br />Stone asked that if the council voted to be on a strictly <br />volunteer fire department basis would Prifrel still refuse <br />to negotiate insofar as the other two employees are <br />concerned. Prifrel said that if the council does this, he <br />will first enter it into conciliation and will not go into <br />ariy other factors until that is settled. <br />Attorney Seed advised this matter is still under study and <br />asked if in Prifrel~s judgment it would not be in the best <br />interests to discontinue the employment of the paid firemen. <br />Prifrel stated that he did not believe it would be in the <br />best `interest of the Village of Falcon Heights. He stated <br />that there have been unfair labor practices involved in <br />the councils action that a few members of the. union are <br />being eliminated. He is sure the Mayor and Councilmen are <br />acting ,in the best interests of the Village and he would not <br />try to tell them how to run their community. He is protecting <br />the employees and their jobs which jobs are directly connected <br />to the welfare of the community. The problem here is the <br />jobs of the men involved and the manner this is being handled <br />at the present time is an unfair labor practice. <br />Slack inquired as to whether this is being considered as a <br />period of negotiations to which Prifrel replied that the <br />council wants to split up the negotiations of employees and <br />he cannot do that. Black said the decision about going <br />strictly volunteer has not been a sudden decision. As far <br />as negotiations the letter written to Prifrel first asked <br />for tim®. <br />