By ANDY GARDNER

MASSENA -- Village trustees made no motion to fill paid a firefighter and driver post at the Massena Fire Department, to the chagrin of the department’s union head.

Walter Bean, president of Firefighters Local 2220 told the board that leaving the position empty means they are not fulfilling their end of the so-called “manning clause” in the collective bargaining deal between the village and union.

“Apparently this board has forgotten what collective bargaining is,” Bean said, noting that trustees Francis Carvel, Albert Deshaies and Tim Ahlfeld were among a past board that ratified the deal to which he was referring.

“Massena Permanent Firefighters will uphold our part of the contract. I ask the village board to do the same and uphold your part,” Bean said.

Currier asked if the trustees would entertain a motion “to canvas and fill the position for a firefighter and fire driver.”

Silence answered him.

In May, Bean told the board the department needs the position to be filled quickly.

“We need this position. Overtime costs are going to start to go up,” Bean said. “That position is also a budgeted amount.”

He noted that the firefighters have assumed the code enforcement duties, which with a short staff, means high overtime costs.

“We took over the code enforcement, we didn’t ask for anything more,” Bean said. “We don’t just sit around all day, we don’t just do our job when the alarm rings.”

He said it will take time to get the person actually working because they have to pass an 11-week fire academy class. They are only offered for two sessions – one in the spring and the other in the fall.

The vacancy was created when the board terminated Firefighter Brandon Sheet last month. Currier said it was because Sheet “failed to meet the requirements set forth by civil service guidelines to obtain a permanent position.”