Firefighter Negotiations Continue Today, 'Plan B' On Monday's Commission Agenda

Negotiations with Woonsocket's firefighter's union, IAF Local 732 continue today, but the Budget Commission has listed a contingency plan on its Monday afternoon agenda they may use if a stalemate continues.

Item #5 on the Monday, June 15, 4 p.m. agenda reads: "Enactments to Effect Terms and Conditions of Employment, IAF, Local 732, Firefighters of the City of Woonsocket."

Since the firefighters union's contract doesn't run out till the end of June 2014, they've so far been immune to "enactments" passed by the Commission in April imposing changes on expired union agreements.

On April 19, the Woonsocket Budget Commission voted to enact the concessions they were attempting to negotiate - referred to as "enactments" with all the city's unions save the firefighters' union. (The Budget Commission's interpretation of state law is that they cannot alter existing contracts.) The move was described as a "Plan B".  

That "Plan B" was used July 3 when the Policeman's union, Local 404, voted against ratifying negotiated concessions, the bulk of which concern moving police into the city's unified healthcare system (see attached .pdf). With that move and the ratified negotiations, Budget Commission member Peder Schaefer announced the city had realized $4,738,000 in savings from union concessions, above the threshold set by the recently passed supplemental tax law. The Commission voted to send out supplemental bills to taxpayers shortly after.
 
That left the firefighters union the sole city bargaining unit to have not made some concession for budget savings. 

During the July 1 Budget Commission meeting, the city's negotiator, Attorney Dan Kinder, said the Budget Commission is empowered to make drastic changes to any city department if it deems it necessary.

On Thursday, Woonsocket City Council President and Budget Commission member John Ward said the enactments referred to on Monday's agenda do not concern elements of firefighter employment covered under their contract. "There are other factors that would be more available for savings," Ward said.

Ward declined to elaborate, saying the details were intentionally kept within the Commission's closed session meetings to avoid hampering negotiations as they continue today.