Compton Firefighters Union, Members Sue Chief, Top Aides

In an increasingly bitter dispute over the future of the Compton Fire Department, the city’s firefighters union and a handful of its members have filed a $40-million lawsuit against the fire chief and several other officials, accusing them of trying to intimidate members who proposed a county takeover of the city’s fire services.

The suit, which was filed Tuesday in federal court, alleges that Fire Chief Milford Fonza assaulted two union members in May as they gathered signatures for a petition to place an initiative on a city ballot that would bring the city’s fire services under county control.

Fonza and four battalion chiefs also violated union members’ civil rights by creating a hostile work environment for those who supported or campaigned on behalf of the petition, the suit charges.

“Several firefighters have been demoted, fired, transferred and suspended, all for actions having to do with their support for the union’s activities,� said Patrick J. Thistle, a lawyer representing Local 2216 of the union. “The behavior amounts to institutional terrorism.�

Fonza called the assault allegations “ridiculous� and accused union activists of violating election laws and department policies during their campaign. He said that any disciplinary action was taken for those violations and not for political motives, adding that the lawsuit is an attempt by disgruntled workers to disrupt his enforcement of those rules.

“I believe that the lawsuit is being used as an intimidation method to prevent me from doing my job,� he said.

The alleged assault was investigated by the Compton Police Department and a report of its findings handed over to the district attorney’s office, a Compton police official said. Investigators considered the incident a pushing and grappling match over the petitions rather than an assault, he said.

Prosecutors rejected the case for lack of evidence, said Brian Wooldridge, assistant head deputy of the district attorney’s special investigations division.

The suit also names the city and Compton Police Chief Hourie Taylor as defendants. Taylor is accused of trailing one union activist who was gathering signatures. Taylor was on vacation Wednesday, but Fonza said the charges against the police chief are false.

The union learned about two weeks ago that its petition for an initiative on November’s ballot failed by 600 signatures. Union officials said they are regrouping for another attempt.

Recent disagreements over disbanding city fire departments in favor of county contracts have split communities across the county as more cities consider the switch.

Within the last year and a half, Covina, El Monte and Hawthorne have dissolved their fire departments in favor of county services. Lynwood is negotiating with the county after a citywide vote on a similar switch. Inglewood will consider a ballot initiative on the issue in November.

Opponents of such proposals say that county mergers leave fire services less accountable to local citizens and elected officials. Proponents argue that the county Fire Department brings more sophisticated resources for less money. The county department also offers better pay for some firefighters, a sensitive issue in Compton.

Compton firefighters have not received a raise for seven years, despite an independent arbitrator’s recent recommendation that the city award them a 16% increase, said union President Frank Sotelo. Union members began considering support for a county takeover last September after a breakdown in pay negotiations.

Since then, relations between the union and the fire chief have become increasingly strained. Union members have accused Fonza of disrupting their efforts to gather signatures for the ballot initiative. In May they passed a vote of no confidence in him and two battalion chiefs.

Fonza said he supports efforts to win higher pay but opposes turning over fire services to the county. Citing county statistics, he said his department’s average response time was roughly half that of county fire stations in neighboring cities. He also warned that the county could not match the city’s recruiting of residents to join the department.