Providence willing to negotiate firefighters’ schedules

By Ana Bottary

abottary@abc6.com

After months of bickering in and out of court, a sigh of relief from Providence Firefighters Tuesday after receiving a letter from Mayor Jorge Elorza, saying he’s now willing to move to a different schedule under the current three platoon system.

"The admission and recognition that we can bargain about the shifts is a big change for the city and we welcome it," says President of Providence Firefighters IAFF Local 799, Paul Doughty.
 
In the letter addressed to Union President, Doughty, Mayor Elorza says he’s realized Local 799 is unhappy with the new schedules he implemented on August 2nd. He then goes on to offer alternatives, including, a 24–hour shift followed by 48 hours off, or a 48 hour shift followed by 96 hours off. And in a change of heart from past negotiations, Mayor Elorza says in the letter, "We would be happy to see how we can accommodate your request."

Doughty says their current 56–hour work week is not what they want and they would like to go back to the traditional 42–hour schedule they used to have.

"Providence is an extraordinarily busy city and with the volume of calls that we are handling, you need some time to spend with your family and to get back mentally and physically so you can preform at your best for the citizens," says Doughty.

As far as the fire department’s relationship with the mayor going forward, Doughty says, "I think it’s a good signal that he want’s to sit down and kind of has reversed his position on being able to negotiate the shifts and we think it’s a welcome sign."

Doughty says he is hoping to meet with Mayor Elorza later this week to discuss possible changes going forward. The Mayor’s Office could not be reached for comment.

(C) WLNE-TV 2015