Woonsocket Union Deals Line Up, Legislators Mum on Supplemental Tax

Editor's note: This story has been updated to include the remarks of firefighter union president Mike Morin.

With five out of seven of the city's unions signed on to the contract concessions the Woonsocket Budget Commission needs for its 5-year deficit solving plan, Mayor Leo Fontaine said they've proven taxpayers won't shoulder the city's deficit solution solo.

Since the ratification of five union contracts: Council 94, AFCSME Local 670 (city employees), Council 94, AFCSME Local 3851 (paraprofessional and technical city employees), Council 94, AFCSME Local 1137 (School support employees), Woonsocket Teachers Guild Local 951 (paraprofessionals) and Woonsocket Teachers Guild Local 951 (teachers) with the needed concessions last week, announced at Friday's Budget Commission meeting, "We have shown that that's not going to happen," said Fontaine Monday.

That was the condition legislators required for offering their support of the supplemental tax. Dual bills in the RI Senate and House that would raise the additional $2.5 million annual addition to the city's tax base as part of the 5-year-plan have sat on their respective chambers' desks waiting on "good news" regarding the negotiations.

Today is the last day the General Assembly can act on the bills - which only require that either Sen. Marc Cote (D-Dist 24), or Rep. Lisa Baldelli-Hunt (D-Dist. 49), sponsors of S820 and H6103, ask that they be sent to the opposite chamber for final approval - usually a routine clerical step. 

Only the police and firefighters union contracts remain unresolved, said Fontaine. The police won't be done voting on their contract until Wednesday, and while officials are optimistic it will pass, Attorney Dan Kinder, the city's contract negotiator, noted the law forming the Budget Commission gives them the power to make the contract changes happen even if the police don't ratify the agreement.  If they do ratify the new contract, the Budget Commission will have to wait until Monday to act on it.

In the case of the firefighter's contract, Kinder said, there's nothing in the works since their last meeting a few weeks ago. Kinder said the city and the Budget Commission have been working with and reaching out to the firefighters union for months, "But they're not interested in helping out," he said.

"Mr. Kinder was wrong in saying the firefighters are not interested in helping out. The problem Dan has with the firefighters is that he doesn’t have the upper hand with us. That’s not usually the way Dan operates," said Mike Morin, president of the firefighters union, Tuesday morning. Though their contract does run out next year, Morin said they're still willing to talk. "When we last met it was left to the city to get back to us if their demands have changed. While we have some common ground on some items, we are still apart on others," Morin said.

Kinder said the Budget Commission is also empowered to make drastic changes to any city department if it deems it necessary, but they haven't taken that step yet. He also said the city is fortunate in its employees, from his experiences with those he met. Kinder said city employees were, "Just a remarkable group of people."

On April 19, the Woonsocket Budget Commission voted to enact the concessions they were attempting to negotiate with all the city's unions save the firefighters' union, whose contract expires next year. (The Budget Commission's interpretation of state law is that they cannot alter existing contracts.) The move was described as a 'Plan B'. 
 
While Friday's ratification of the bulk of the contracts with the concessions puts the shared sacrifice in writing, Fontaine said the April 19 vote was a good-faith demonstration. "Our effort to show that was done weeks ago when we passed the enactments," Fontaine said. 

By late Monday afternoon, Baldelli Hunt and Cote had not given word to members of the Budget Commission on whether they'd send the supplemental tax bills to their opposite chambers today. Budget Commission member and Council President John Ward said he'd heard nothing from the Woonsocket delegation. Jennifer Findlay, CPA and state-appointed financial advisor to the Budget Commission, said there's been no official word from the politicians.

As of 10:30 p.m., the senate version of the supplemental tax bill was not on the Senate Floor Calendar. The House Calendar for today was not posted by 10:30 p.m. 

Should the supplemental tax bill die on the chambers' desks, "That may actually place the taxpayers and retirees in further jeopardy," Fontaine said.