Projo 7 to 7 News Blog

NORTH PROVIDENCE -- Twenty town workers received layoff notices today as municipal lawyers battled the local firefighters union in Superior Court and Mayor Charles A. Lombardi inched closer to his goal of cutting $2.6 million from the town's budget.

Local police officers agreed to cuts that would provide $200,000 in savings while unions representing public works employees, municipal workers and firefighters have rejected the necessary concessions in wages and benefits, Lombardi said.

He said he formally notified 10 public works employees and 10 municipal workers that they will lose their jobs unless their unions reconsider concessions by 10 p.m. Sunday night.

Meanwhile, the firefighters union received a temporary restraining order, which they say will prevent Lombardi from laying off firefighters after Sunday's deadline.

Judge Richard J. Israel issued a the temporary restraining order in advance of a hearing on the matter Tuesday morning, said the president, Lt. John Silva.

Lombardi has said he will lay off 30 firefighters unless everyone in the union takes a 5-percent reduction in wages cut and pays 15 percent of their total health-care costs.
Those are the same concessions that Lombardi sought from all the unions.

On Thursday night, Silva said, the union voted against the concessions and also voted to seek a restraining order in court, following the strategy adopted by Woonsocket firefighters.

The union is arguing that a layoff of firefighters would leave their ranks too thin, jeopardizing their own safety and that of the public.

"It's a third of our work force," Silva said, adding that the union did vote for a package of concessions that he said would save the town an estimated $85,000 between now and June 30.

Lombardi, who is trying to find a way for the town to absorb a potential $3.6 million cut in state aid, could not be immediately reached for comment.

 Tags  economy firefighters North Providence RI

Comments

concerned said:

can we just get this all settled and done with. everyone has to make concessions, employees as well as taxpayers.

Link | February 20, 2009 6:35 PM
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