Warwick, unions tentatively agree to contract concessions
9:30 AM Mon, Feb 23, 2009 | Permalink
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WARWICK _ Mayor Scott Avedisian and the city's three unions have worked out tentative agreements that _ through wage and benefit concessions _ will help the city absorb $5 million in the proposed state aid cuts in the current year and also save the city millions more over the next three years, it was announced today. Among other provisions, Avedisian said that the unions are willing to increase their share of health insurance premiums and make concessions on holiday pay and clothing allowances. He also said that the unions agreed to no wage increases for next year. If finalized, the new agreements will save the city about $1.9 million for the four months remaining in the current fiscal year, Avedisian said. Since the city has already cut its current budget by $2.3 million in response to Governor Carcieri's proposed mid-year aid cuts, the union concessions bring the city close to making up the $5 million, he said. And longer term, he estimated that the new agreements, could save the city as much as $10 million over the next three years. Although all three unions had contracts in place until June 30, Avedisian said they came back to the bargaining table because the cut in state aid and other financial pressures of the state's crumbling economy made it clear that action was needed immediately. The tentative agreements must now be approved by the members of the three unions as well as the Warwick City Council. Avedisian credited the unions for coming forward so that Warwick could avoid the "bickering" that is going on in other communities. "This truly was every union coming together with the city to see what we could do," Avedisian said. 
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I applaud both the mayor and the unions for constructively working together to get this done. However, the real money pit in Warwick is the school department.
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Exactly.... When will the selfish school unions come forward to help out, rather than create more problems!!! They just sit back and watch the rest of us struggle to make things work better.
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The budget is getting balanced by the municipal unions and the school comittee is the problem. The system needs to be changed.
Teachers are overpaid and only work 180 days a year. Firefighters and Police have dangerous jobs and work out in the elements. We should be paying them more and teachers less.
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It is amazing what professional labor management can accomplish. Everyone wins in this situation. Hopefully, other communities will learn from this. Egos and threats need to be checked at the door if positive results are to be had. Don't blame the unions, they are willing to negotiate, but that is the key to the matter. Threatening to club workers into the ground with threats of layoffs or refusing to accept dollar amounts requested, do nothing but harden positions. Who loses then? Everyone. Hopefully, Providence, West Warwick, Woonsocket, and North Providence will learn what professionalism means. Treating people like human beings, not slaves or pawns for political grandstanding.
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When will Cicciline finally give the unions a Providence an answer. They have proposed similar savings. He 's a joke ,he should take a lesson from Avadesian, an honest open minded mayor.
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Maybe this is why we keep electing Scott Avedesian. He is a guy that gets it done not a grandstander! It is fantastic to have a lifelong Warwick resident for Mayor that puts the city ahead of the BS. Thanks to the Mayor, Local Union Officials and the hardworking city employees for helping the rest of the people that live in the city. Maybe police, fire and DPW workers are underapreciated hopefully the things they gave up will in some way be made up in the future when the economy recovers. AGAIN THANKS TO EVERYONE THAT MADE THIS HAPPEN
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Avedisian is the man!
First, securing Rocky Point then this.
When he runs for governor, he'll get my vote.
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