Firefighters gather at State House to debate overtime issue
By Matt Blanchette
mblanchette@abc6.com
A controversial firefighting bill is being debated once again at the State House Tuesday afternoon.
These bills would affect the entire state, but are introduced in response to
Mayor Jorge Elorza is trying to institute changes in an overtime system that he says would save the city $5 million a year.
The debate over the cost of firefighting was raging tonight at the state house. Local municipalities are calling a new bill which would pay firefighters overtime after 42 hours worked.
“Make no mistake about it—this is the most important bill and vote that we have had in this state in a very long time,” said Elorza.
“I thought we were all in this together… to save the taxpayers money and be responsible leaders,” said Charlie Lombardi of North Providence Fire.
Over 70% of the
Cranston Senator Frank Lombardi is a sponsor for the bill, saying, “It is a very simple issue. If you require firefighters to work beyond their normal hours then why should they not be entitled to overtime?”
The General Assembly will ultimately decide and today the Senate and House Labor Committees held forums to gather information, in which hundreds of firefighters attended. The Mayor says all the overtime will bankrupt cities—but firefighters say staffing isn’t where it should be.
“Now they are the ones crying about their own system. That is why the overtime is so out of whack. Hire more firefighters and the overtime goes away,” said Cranston Firefighters Union President, Paul Valetta.
Governor Raimondo would not go as far as to say if she’d veto the passage of the bills, but she is on the record being against them. “I have very real concerns about any legislation which raises costs for cities and towns because that will be passed on to the people,” she said.
Currently, there is no vote schedule for these bills, so the debates will continue.
© WLNE-TV 2015
