By Sam Wroblewski 630wpro.com
Providence Mayor Jorge Elorza says he is prepared to implement a three platoon firefighter shift schedule by Monday if negotiations fall through this weekend.
The mayor has given Local 799 till 5:00p.m. Saturday, August 1, to accept a previously offered deal to increase non-pensionable pay by 33 percent; union leaders had already rejected the deal.
“I hope they will reconsider, if not the city is prepared to implement,” said Elorza.
Under Elorza’s plan, city fire fighters would be given an 8 percent increase in pensionable pay –comparable to the North Kingstown and Tiverton fire departments – for 14 extra hours of work. Elorza said the extra time on the job should not be an issue as the majority of fire fighters were already working additional hours and collecting time and a half pay.
The city had also offered to increase fire fighter pay by 10 percent, which would be considered pensionable, however that offer was rejected as well.
The city and fire union met several times in the past two months to hash out a deal; the first term mayor said if reforms were not made to platoon schedules the city would face an $85 million deficit by 2021.
Elorza believes he has the legal authority to unilaterally dictate shift times because of a Rhode Island Supreme Court decision which said North Kingstown had the legal right to designate shift schedules.
The new shifts will begin Sunday, August 2, in conjunction with a previously scheduled shift rotation.
The city expects to be in court Monday morning as the fire union has already stated their intention to seek an injunction to delay the Elorza administration’s implementation of the new shift structure.
