Re: 'Firefighters union changes endorsements' [Village News, Letter, 10/17/24]

In response to the recent opinion piece regarding the Fallbrook Firefighters’ endorsement process for the 2024 election, we would like to clarify several points to ensure the community has accurate information and the chance to understand our perspective.

In March 2024, Jeff Egkan and Ross Pike approached the Fallbrook Firefighters for an early endorsement, citing their campaign timelines. Although this early request was unexpected, we proceeded with our standard interview process.

At that time, there were existing issues related to communication and support between the Board and our firefighters. However, we believed endorsing Egkan and Pike would encourage improved collaboration. Our endorsement was made in good faith, with the expectation that it would help address and resolve these prior concerns.

Simultaneously, the Fallbrook Firefighters began raising concerns about how our contractual compensation had failed to keep pace with inflation. According to data from the County of San Diego, our workforce is currently earning 10.5% less than in 2014 and 30.7% less than in 2006, when adjusted for inflation.

Given the substantial increase in District revenue (+85.3%) and reserve health (+374.2%) since 2014, union leadership set out to collaboratively and professionally represent the issue at hand in hopes of sustainably growing together. Addressing this gap would immediately and directly impact North County Fire’s ability to recruit and retain quality first responders.

We communicated these concerns with the Board using monthly letters, data presentations, and personal meetings to raise awareness. During the last negotiation cycle, Director Egkan had stated that mid-contract adjustments could be considered if inflation continued to pose an issue – a statement that was corroborated by multiple witnesses.

In light of this, we responsibly and collaboratively approached the Board in September 2024 to request a cost-of-living adjustment (COLA). The goal was to address the long-standing disparity between compensation and inflation. Unfortunately, the Board declined to take action, providing no clear path forward or timeline for reconsideration.

Following this decision, our relationship with both Egkan and Pike began to deteriorate. On Sept. 5, Jeff Egkan voluntarily withdrew his request for our endorsement, citing personal reasons. His lack of accountability during this process made it difficult to envision future collaboration. As a result, we shifted our focus to John Van Doorn, who we believe demonstrates strong potential for fostering a productive and collaborative relationship with our union.

Ross Pike’s response was similarly concerning. After reaching out to him for further dialogue, Pike chose not to engage and instead sent an accusatory email to over 20 district members. While he expressed interest in retaining our endorsement, he stated he would cease communication with union leadership until after the election.

This decision made it impossible for us to continue supporting his candidacy. Consequently, we endorsed Jeannette Barragan, who has shown a willingness to engage in open, professional dialogue.

As the leadership of Local 1622, our priority is to represent the wages, hours, and working conditions of our firefighters. While Egkan and Pike have made meaningful contributions during their tenure on the Board, their unwillingness to engage in balanced, collaborative dialogue leaves us unable to support their re-election.

Our goal remains to foster a sustainable fire department that meets the needs of our community and our firefighters, ensuring that the North County Fire Protection District continues on a path of financial and operational success.

Ryan Lewis

Vice President/PAC Chairman

Fallbrook Firefighters Association