Duluth Fire Chief Dennis Edwards and Deputy Chief Shawn Krizaj were formally censured Wednesday after a resolution was passed unanimously at the the International Association of Fire Fighters convention.

The censure stems from the city of Duluth filing a unit clarification petition with the Minnesota Bureau of Mediation Services seeking to exclude three assistant fire chiefs from the bargaining unit represented by Duluth Firefighters Local 101 because the city believes they are "supervisory employees" under the Minnesota Public Employee Labor Relations Act.

"The Minnesota Public Employee Labor Relations Act prohibits supervisory employees from being in the same bargaining unity as the employees who they supervise," the city said in a statement Wednesday.

Local 101 said in June they believe Edwards and Krizaj have operated the department in violation of the Fair Labor Standards Act, the Minnesota Public Employment Labor Relations Act, Local 101 collective bargaining agreement and city policy.

According the resolution passed Wednesday, Edwards has even threatened that he could eliminate the jobs of the assistant fire chiefs.

"We hope the censure, unanimously approved (Wednesday) by 1,800 convention delegates, sends a message to the chiefs that we take anti-union behavior seriously," Local 101 said in a statement released on Twitter. "At the same time, we stand ready to work together to identify and solve fire department challenges."

According to the city, "Duluth is currently the only Minnesota city of the first class that operates without a separate supervisory unity within its management structure other than a chief and deputy chief" and that the current structure does not reflect public safety organizational best practices.

City administrator David Montgomery stood by his statement made in June which said the city administration has full faith and confidence in Edwards and Krizaj.

"We support their efforts to improve the services provided by the Duluth Fire Department, no less than we appreciate and support the service and contributions of every member of the Duluth Fire Department," he said. "We are hopeful the city and the union can work together to build on the department's excellent reputation of service to the community."

The Minnesota Bureau of Mediation Services is set to hear the city's application at an administrative hearing on Aug. 21