patching...
Welcome back, Patch Blogger!

Supreme Court Judge Issues Temporary Stay For Fire Union Ruling

Town officials have been given a stay regarding a ruling that orders them to return firefighters to their former work schedules.

 

 

A Supreme Court judge has granted a temporary stay to North Kingstown town officials regarding a ruling that requires them to return firefighters to their former work schedules, according to Town Manager Michael Embury.

Supreme Court Judge Gilbert Indeglia has issued a stay of implementation, but only for a few days until the entire Rhode Island Supreme Court can meet and vote on the matter. In the interim, Judge Indeglia has urged town officials and the fire union (Local 1651) to work to resolve the issue.

According to Town Manager Michael Embury, the town is seeking to appeal a Superior Court judge's decision on the matter. If both sides don't reach an agreement by end of day Wednesday, the entire Supreme Court will consider the issue on Thursday.

Earlier this week, Superior Court Judge Brian Stern ruled against the town and ordered them to overturn an ordinance that mandated 24-hour shifts for firefighters, citing that the North Kingstown Town Council did not have the right to make those unilateral changes to the fire department after losing the issue in arbitration a year before. Judge Stern gave the town until Feb. 11 to revert back to the former schedule.

In January 2012, the council approved an ordinance that 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.

Related Topics: 24-hour shifts, Local 1651, North Kingstown Fire Department, North Kingstown Town Council, and North Kingstown firefighters

I'm Tired of the Games

11:50 am on Friday, February 8, 2013

Gee... I thought the Town and Union reached an agreement complete with handshakes. Maybe that is where the SC is heading. That deal cut the losses for taxpayers, but stubborn TC people want to keep this going and the bill to continue to go up!

Reply

Politics Sheriff of NK

12:03 pm on Friday, February 8, 2013

It's like Jeopardy and Kinder is trying to break the 1 million dollars mark! lol

Reply

I'm Tired of the Games

12:06 pm on Friday, February 8, 2013

Maybe "Double Jeopardy" if he can name all the Town's he has fleeced in the last few years taking them down the garden path. I'll bet he has already cleared the $2 mil mark! Heck, he even signed the agreement last week, just like the TM.

Reply

I'm Tired of the Games

12:11 pm on Friday, February 8, 2013

I think if push comes to shove, the agreement last Friday is a valid contract since the Town's negotiating team had the authorization to conclude an agreement under the FF Arbitration Act and that is separate from any appeal of Stern's ruling. Both sides had to have the authority or they would be bargaining in bad faith which is a violation.

Reply
Comment_arrow

Politics Sheriff of NK

12:19 pm on Friday, February 8, 2013

Interesting notion. I wonder what the FF lawyer says. They COULD be under yet another agreement already making the Town in violation of yet another thing. WOW

I'm Tired of the Games

12:23 pm on Friday, February 8, 2013

I think the SC will be looking at that signed agreement for next week and urge both sides to honor it rather than spend their time hearing more arguments. Especially, since it saves money for the taxpayers. If not, I'm sure the FF lawyer will raise that issue and make Kinder look bad. Kinder can't have it both ways before the court.

Reply

Just the Facts

2:13 pm on Friday, February 8, 2013

Take a look @ Kinders record. He'll lead anybody down the primrose path against any organized labor group. And he always comes up on the losing end. Well, He wins by being paid an outragous amount, but who he has led down that path is the ultimate looser. IE: The taxpayer

Reply

nkres

9:27 am on Saturday, February 9, 2013

The Blizzard was created by Union Thugs just to get overtime for thier members. the TC needs to pass an ordinance banning Blizzards.

Reply

I'm Tired of the Games

6:10 pm on Wednesday, February 13, 2013

Now that the Blizzard is over has the RISC made any decision on how they will handle this appeal?

Reply

Leave a comment