Mayors join together against fire bill at State House
By Matt Blanchette
@mattblanchette
13 mayors and Lieutenant Governor Dan McKee stood together against a bill that they say would overrule local charters which give them authority to make decisions affecting the way local fire departments are structured.
“There is transformational type leadership that wants to move the state in a particular direction and there are individuals that want to keep it the way it is. So we are very concerned,” McKee said.
This argument is due in large part to North Kingstown’s decision to move from 4 shifts to 3 at a reported savings of just over $2 million dollars a year.
Staring at a looming deficit Providence Mayor Jorge Elorza is now trying to do the same thing to cut back on overtime and save the city $5 million a year.
“Taking away our ability to act in this way is compromising to manage our budgets and keep our cities on firm fiscal ground. That is what is at stake here,” Elorza said.
One by one mayor’s explained that whether or not they are currently making changes to their departments, they want to keep the right to do so.
But Cranston fire union president Paul Valletta isn’t buying it.
“You can read the tone behind this. This is all about cutting firefighters from the state, reducing us to three platoons and not paying us. That is what they are doing in North Kingstown and that’s what their plan is,” he said.
He says everything should be collectively bargained and firefighters themselves should have a say in any potential shift changes.
And that is all we are asking for. These shifts are not healthy for firefighters and we deserve a right to talk about them,” Valletta said.
And in an apparent response to any changes in Providence Senator Frank Lombardi will introduce a separate bill that would require all fire and rescue personnel to receive overtime pay for all hours worked over 42 a week.
Elorza’s plan would require firefighters work 56 hours a week.
