Judge Orders End to 24-Hour Shift
A Superior Court judge is ordering the town to restore firefighters' previous hours and salaries by the weekend.
The 24-hour shift for North Kingstown's firefighters may be no more by the end of the weekend. On Monday, Superior Court Judge Brian Stern has ordered town officials to return the North Kingstown Fire Department to its previous hours and salaries by Feb. 11.
In January 2012, the North Kingstown Town Council passed an ordinance mandating 24-hour shifts for the town's firefighters, increasing the work week from 42 to 56 hours, eliminating one platoon and decreasing firefighters' hourly wages. The new ordinance was implemented in March 2012 and, since then, the town and fire union (Local 1651) have been embroiled in a series of court battles.
Back in December 2012, Judge Stern ordered the town to "unring the bell," stating that the council did not have the right to make those unilateral changes to the fire department after losing the issue in arbitration a year before.
According to Local 1651 Union President Ray Furtado, these changes have put a burden on the town's firefighters, forcing some to work double shifts due to understaffing. In statements to The Hummel Report, Furtado said that the down is liable for approximately $1.3 million in damages and backpay since the 24-hour shift went into effect in March.
Following Stern's order to "unring the bell," both sides returned to the bargaining table to renegotiate. A tentative agreement was ratified by the union, but was vetoed unanimously by the council over the weekend.
Check back for updates on this story.
I'm Tired of the Games
12:44 pm on Tuesday, February 5, 2013
The Judge is Wrong. I agree with the Town Council. The earth really is flat, we never landed on the moon, there is a bridge connecting Manhattan and Brooklyn which is available for sale. All of the above are true. Never mind there are state laws which the Town Council has broken. Don't forget to mention to negotiate in good faith. I hope the RI Supreme Court upholds Judge Stern who has been a patient man with these law breakers.
Just the Facts
1:05 pm on Tuesday, February 5, 2013
NK taxpayers get ready to grab your ankles!! All thanks to your elected officials!!
Jeff Crawford
1:14 pm on Tuesday, February 5, 2013
Kind of like when the school commitee and the Town went to build the New High School years ago and they thought they could do it without paying prevailing wages and union labor...what did that cost us? $7 Million extra.
Support NK
9:27 pm on Tuesday, February 5, 2013
TC is wrong...wrong...wrong!
melissa
7:44 am on Wednesday, February 6, 2013
the lawers fees should come out of town councils pockets not the tax payer, here we go again if we don't like the answer we will continue to throw a temper tantrum until we get our own way
Noreswindnk
7:49 am on Wednesday, February 6, 2013
Archaric thought and past practices of union labor continue to hold the world, country, state and now town taxpayers hostage with their chants of "all for me and me for all my brothers". While you may blame the council, the state auditor, the President or Congress, SOMETHING has to change folks. Taxpayers do not have the money to continue paying current rates, benefits and pensions forever.
Your council came up with a solution, now failed. Got a better idea or just wish to continue paying until your wallet is completely dry? Tax rates are one of the highest in the state now. Think they'll go down after this judge's decision?
Jeff Crawford
8:17 am on Wednesday, February 6, 2013
Obviously you haven't seen the salaries of the officials running the Town and State governments lately. To blame union labor for today's problems is nonsense. This state has been running on empty for alot of reasons, mostly because we have never taken care of what we had and now the infastructure is failing and costing millions to fix. Decisions were not made by those running the show and they continue to look to blame someone. Who do you think caused the over inflation of the housing market years ago or the banking crisis? The ones running the show..they reaped the benefits and left town.. and the left the bill to be paid by all. Very few were ever held accountable because of who they were or who they knew. And the unfunded liability concerning retirement being faced by all of the cities, towns and the State, the majority of the retirement boards were made up of non-union persons. Take a look at the Town of Scituate from the news last night. The retirement board chairman for the last 15 years, left the Town of Scituate to go to the Town of Coventry and won't explain the $8 Million dollar retirement shortfall in their account or why they only met once in ten years. He was, non-union and in charge of the fund oversight.
Concerned Resident
9:23 am on Wednesday, February 6, 2013
Have to enjoy reading union rhetoric because everyone knows that the union's had NOTHING to do with today's city - town and state issues.
You're right that the state did not address infrastructure issues....do tell why?
We all know that the housing crisis was not caused by many including the average citizen greed alike.
You are right that things should not have got to the point of having unfunded liabilities....do tell how it should have been funded?
Absolutely agree that it was wrong not to have Scituate pension meeting.......do tell what they would have done to ensure proper funding?
Other than proclaiming “not me”, please tell all how unions feel like innocent by standers with NO blame in any??
Please respond comparing public union pay- benefits and retirement to private sector pay-benefits and retirement?……the same private sector that is paying for you.
Concerned Resident
9:29 am on Wednesday, February 6, 2013
Lastly Jeff, please advise the salaries of town, state AND union official's........
NK_Voter
10:03 am on Wednesday, February 6, 2013
Well stated, Noreswindk.
I fear, however, that the unions have such a stranglehold on RI in both the Judiciary and House that we'll just continue down the path of higher fees, tolls, taxes and eventual bankruptcy.
I applaud the TC for continuing to stand up for the taxpayers in NK. Frankly, I find the lack of thought by some on this site as an indication of why this state is where it is. Do they not understand that the costs of pensions and the bloated salaries/benefits of our public sector union brethren are one reason that the roads and infrastructure are in such sad shape? If your revenue goes to generous salaries and benefits--it doesn't go to infrastructure. Perhaps our new state motto should be "RI: Taxes like Sweden, roads like Mogadishu."
CONCERNED AND OVER TAXED CITIZEN
9:10 am on Wednesday, February 6, 2013
I have proudly belonged to a PRIVATE UNIOIN for 40 years. I firmly believe that collective bargaining is the best way to distribute services in a free market., Key words - Free Market. The public sector is not a free market. The public sector is a Government monopoly in which a Government agency or Government corporation is the sole provider of a particular good or service and competition is prevented by law. It is a monopoly created by the Government. There is no competition. The customer has no choice or alternative. There cannot be legitimate collective bargaining negotiations without the free customer being able to say no. If we cannot eliminate these PUBLIC UNION monopolies, we should require that they provide MAXIMUM value to the taxpayer equal to the PRIVATE sector at minimum cost. If the PUBLIC UNIONS are not happy with the sacrifices and concessions that must be made, I invite them to join us in the PRIVATE UNION sector.
Jeff Crawford
9:33 am on Wednesday, February 6, 2013
Well I guess you should start at the legislature because Federal Law allowed the unions to represent the lower rank in file workers in State service decades ago and the legislature allowed, just recently, some of the lower management workers to be represented by a union. All union and non-union workers have made concessions and sacrifices. Did your private union inform you recently that your Defined Benefit Retirement Plan is being cut by 20% because they didn't invest your money right and that any cost of living is out the window? I didn't think so. And by the way, I pay the same taxes as you and am also tired of the annual tax increases.
Concerned Resident
9:59 am on Wednesday, February 6, 2013
Jeff, looks as though you are in agreement that the law as applied to union's can be changed when required for the good of all, thanks
Govstench
8:07 pm on Wednesday, February 6, 2013
Collective bargaining does not exist in the public unions. It's all coercive bargaining - the taxpayers are not represented!
Crystal Ball
9:43 am on Wednesday, February 6, 2013
The union and town will reach a new contract and this will no longer be an ongoing issue. The unresolved and actual concern is how this entire process was mismanaged by the town manager.
It’s time for a new manager.
Alicarn
10:21 am on Wednesday, February 6, 2013
Good! It's about time someone showed some respect to the firefighters! Town Council should be voted out, they continue to make wrong decisions that cost lots of money and good will!
CONCERNED AND OVER TAXED CITIZEN
1:08 pm on Wednesday, February 6, 2013
To Jeff Crawford
I guess you did not understand my statement. When PRIVATE UNIONS price themselves too high, they have competition and before you know it they are out of a job unless they bring their costs in line with the market. PUBLIC UNIONS, ie the Fire Dept., who have received unrealistic benefits during the past 20 years, just pass their costs on to the poor taxpayer. It's time the PUBLIC UNIONS came back down to earth with the private sector. Please read my statement over again and understand the word monopoly. Thank you.
CONCERNED AND OVER TAXED CITIZEN
1:25 pm on Wednesday, February 6, 2013
To Jeff Crawford
In answer to your question about a 20 % drop in pension, yes we have had setbacks in our pension and health care plans being under funded but we voluntarily took several dollars out of our hourly wage to fully fund and reinforce these plans. We did not go to our employers with our hand out. Again read my first statement and digest it. CONCERNED AND OVER TAXED CITIZEN
CONCERNED AND OVER TAXED CITIZEN
3:08 pm on Wednesday, February 6, 2013
To Jeff Crawford,
In response to your comment about what if my pension was cut 20%.
Yes, we have had setbacks in our retirement plan and health plan and have had to allocate several dollars from our hourly wage and allocate to those 2 plans at our own expense to reinforce these plans. It is about time that the firefighters union came down to earth with the private sector. For 20 years or more there were promises made that were unreasonable and could never be met without bankrupting these communities. Please reread my statement in my former post and try to understand the meaning of monopoly. Thank you.
Concerned and Over Taxed Citizen
I'm Tired of the Games
4:18 pm on Wednesday, February 6, 2013
Any word on how the "brain trust" of lawbreakers did with Judge Stern today with their request of a stay?
Govstench
8:10 pm on Wednesday, February 6, 2013
The bigger question I have is why didn't the town go for a stay on the judge's order pending appeal? Why did the union wait so long before going back to the judge to compel the town to go back to the old hours? Now the lawyer Kinder, is sucking up more taxpayer dollars on a fishing trip of appealing this ruling. In the end, the town will lose. You can't pass an ordinance over an existing contract! The courts will always come down on the side of an existing contract!