E-Mail Blasts Providence Fire Contract
Friday, July 08, 2011
An anonymous e-mail sent to the media and every member of the Providence City Council yesterday criticized the apparent lack of savings in the contract the Fire Department recently agreed to with the city.
The message, which was sent from the e-mail address [email protected], blasts Mayor Angel Taveras for moving forward with a 13 percent property tax hike while failing to get the savings he needed from the Firefighter’s Union.
Message: Only $1.2 Million In Savings
The message claims the city will only save $1.2 million in 2011. Taveras originally said he wanted to save $6 million in both the fire and police departments.
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLAST“Under this tentative agreement the Taveras administration negotiators have given away an opportunity to begin to reduce the city’s healthcare costs,” the e-mail reads. “Why would the Taveras administration eliminate precedential contract language agreed to by the Cicilline administration? They did so when they eliminated the clause committing employees to contribute $632,000 in healthcare co-share money they would have collected this year.”
“Firefighters still have no co-share for healthcare! All other Providence unions have long since agreed to pay some co-share for their healthcare! They have also agreed to a potential increase in the leave of absence costs, by $834,500 in one year alone. They have agreed to an increase in vacation time, which may increase by an additional 32 hrs per employee, per year, which translates into an additional cost increase of $556,500 per year! This agreement gives all fire employees a potential for a 3.5% pay raise, by paying them additional pay stipends to be certified as EMT’s and hazardous material specialists etc. As we understand it, overtime costs alone are now in the range of $7 million per year.”
The message, which also leaked out to some city residents, calls on residents to contact their City Councilmen and make sure they have looked carefully at the new contract.
Mayor Taveras: I Am Grateful To Local 799
The firefighters overwhelmingly voted to support the contract last week, less than a year after former Mayor David Cicilline reached an agreement with the department for the first time in nearly a decade. The deal came shortly after he announced his run for Congress, which he went on to win.
Mayor Taveras has praised the Fire Union for coming to the table and helping the city in its time of need.
“I am grateful to Local 799 leadership for their willingness to accept significant reductions to their labor agreement,” Taveras said. “Despite just recently having settled a longstanding contract dispute, Local 799 came to the table willing to negotiate a solution that allows us to create significant savings without cutting jobs or compromising our fire and rescue services. I commend Local 799’s willingness to help our City during this time of critical need.”
Changes To Contract
According to a press release sent by the city, the major changes to the new contract are as follows:
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The union is set to forgo a three percent pay raise that, per current contract, was due on 6/30/11, saving the City $1 million FY12.
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Structural changes to the contract include a reduction in minimum manning from 92 to 90. This reduction enables the city to significantly reduce personnel, operations and overtime costs.
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A significant savings was achieved by deferring retroactive pay that, per the union’s current contract, was due on July 30, 2011. Rather than receive the funds stipulated in the current contract, firefighters will receive 25 percent on 7/30/11, 25 percent on 7/1/12 and the remainder on 7/1/13.
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Healthcare co-shares increase in each year reaching $1,170 for single and $2,340 for family by FY16.
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New hires will move more slowly up “steps,” with the new contract requiring new recruits to work five years to get to the top step versus the two years it takes now.
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New hires will be eligible for a pension after 25 years, rather than 20 years, as stipulated in the current contract. New hires will contribute 9 percent to their pension vs. the 8 percent they contribute today.
- A one-week reduction of paid vacation time will create additional savings by reducing the amount of overtime the City must pay to cover shifts.
Shared Sacrifice
Fire Union Chief Paul Doughty said his department has committed to being a part of the shared sacrifice everyone in Providence needs to make.
“Like many in the community, the men and women of the Providence Fire Department have been asked to share in the sacrifice necessitated by the severe budget crisis facing the City,” Doughty said. “While these cuts will be a hardship for many in the department, we negotiated an agreement that keeps people working and creates significant financial relief for Providence.”
