Mayor David Ciclline is fond of stating that he is a watchdog for the taxpayers of Providence. He continues to watch over every dollar spent by the city and makes the necessary cuts (no savings is too small to be overlooked) to save the city money.
If so, please ask David these questions.
Why did you spend $25K on a manpower study to justify your staffing cuts in the Providence Fire Department over 2 years ago but not release it yet? Your stance claims that cutting FF staffing will not affect public safety and this study was meant to prove your claim. If it proved that staffing could be cut, I’m sure you would have released it long ago. This is a public record paid for by the taxpayers of Providence yet you refuse to release it even after Local 799 has processed a claim with the courts.
Why is it that you could have gotten over 2 years worth of co-share concessions (that could have saved the city millions) from the firefighters but refused to take the offer?
Why is it that after the city received the benefit of increasing the co-pays for RX’s and Dr’s visits for Providence firefighters and their families by an arbitrator it took over a year and a half for you to begin collecting these payments? This cost the city millions of dollars because these payments were paid directly by the city. This oversight(?) was only discovered when the city asked for a bid for city healthcare management by United Health. United Health discovered this costly mistake.
Why is it that over 58 firefighters were paid overtime to walk around the city in plainclothes the entire time that Local 799’s picket was marching. The stated reason was that they were guarding against and monitoring for a possible biological attack. Was this an attempt to keep these 58 members off the picket line? If not why did you not have them continually monitor after the pickets were done for the day? How much did this cost the taxpayer?
Why was there extra police (more than ever before for a convention or rally in Providence) on duty at the same time the pickets were going on? How much did this cost the taxpayers?
Sunday, June 14, 2009
Providence Mayor's Conference Picketing
Providence firefighters are planning to picket at the upcoming Mayor’s Conference. This is a fact. Providence firefighters have been without a negotiated contract for the entire 7 ½ years David Cicilline has been the Mayor of Providence. Fact. Mayor Cicilline has been aware of Local 799’s plans to picket at his conference for over a year. Fact. The mayor has refused to sit with the leadership of the union at any time during this entire year. Also a fact.
Unfortunately this is where the facts end concerning the so-called information that is being quoted by many who are in the public eye. These individuals and institutions are expected to speak the truth in order to uphold their obligation to the public. This has not been the case regarding this issue.
Providence Journal’s editorial page states that “…Providence’s firefighters oppose the mayor’s plan to have them pay a bit of their health care costs…”. This is untrue. All of Local 799’s contract proposals over the past few years have included a proposal which includes health care co-shares. This fact is also printed in their own newspaper on a different page!
It has been widely reported that Providence firefighters are unwilling to discuss changes to staffing and pension issues. Not so. The fact is that the union and the city differ on the specific changes to be made, but this is what “negotiations” are supposed to be about.
John DePetro blatantly spews misinformation regarding Providence firefighter’s contract and working conditions on his morning radio show on a daily basis. Just this morning he repeatedly stated that Providence firefighters were offering a 1% - 2% co-share of health coverage in retirement. Not true. The real percentage offered by Local 799 was approximately 12%.
Cicilline has attempted to claim that Providence firefighters are the highest compensated firefighters in the country. False. In fact, Providence firefighters are not even the highest compensated firefighters in the state.
Cicilline has claimed that his proposals regarding staffing concessions will not affect the safety of the citizens of Providence. The fact is that he proposes to take 9 firefighters per shift off the trucks, allowing all fire apparatus in the city to fall below the NFPA standard – for a start. How can that not have an effect on public safety?
Cicilline portrays Providence firefighters as “holding the citizens of Providence hostage” and of being “extortionists”. How absurd. In fact Providence firefighters have a history of offering one-time pay freezes and a one-time giveback of a vacation week due to the City’s poor financial status – and that was before he took office when it wasn’t the norm for employees to do so.
Firefighters can’t be expected to make any one-time concessions at the present time because they’re currently working on an arbitrated contract which is over 4 years behind already.
Providence firefighters are ready and willing to be part of the solution to our present situation. We only wish (and would expect) to be held accountable for our proposals; for the facts. We can’t defend ourselves against intentional(?) misinformation and lies being spread about us. I can’t tell you how many times over the past few days that strangers and acquaintances have told me how unreasonable my union is being on this issue only to completely change their opinion after I present them with the real facts.
This is all we are expecting – let us be judged on the facts.
Unfortunately this is where the facts end concerning the so-called information that is being quoted by many who are in the public eye. These individuals and institutions are expected to speak the truth in order to uphold their obligation to the public. This has not been the case regarding this issue.
Providence Journal’s editorial page states that “…Providence’s firefighters oppose the mayor’s plan to have them pay a bit of their health care costs…”. This is untrue. All of Local 799’s contract proposals over the past few years have included a proposal which includes health care co-shares. This fact is also printed in their own newspaper on a different page!
It has been widely reported that Providence firefighters are unwilling to discuss changes to staffing and pension issues. Not so. The fact is that the union and the city differ on the specific changes to be made, but this is what “negotiations” are supposed to be about.
John DePetro blatantly spews misinformation regarding Providence firefighter’s contract and working conditions on his morning radio show on a daily basis. Just this morning he repeatedly stated that Providence firefighters were offering a 1% - 2% co-share of health coverage in retirement. Not true. The real percentage offered by Local 799 was approximately 12%.
Cicilline has attempted to claim that Providence firefighters are the highest compensated firefighters in the country. False. In fact, Providence firefighters are not even the highest compensated firefighters in the state.
Cicilline has claimed that his proposals regarding staffing concessions will not affect the safety of the citizens of Providence. The fact is that he proposes to take 9 firefighters per shift off the trucks, allowing all fire apparatus in the city to fall below the NFPA standard – for a start. How can that not have an effect on public safety?
Cicilline portrays Providence firefighters as “holding the citizens of Providence hostage” and of being “extortionists”. How absurd. In fact Providence firefighters have a history of offering one-time pay freezes and a one-time giveback of a vacation week due to the City’s poor financial status – and that was before he took office when it wasn’t the norm for employees to do so.
Firefighters can’t be expected to make any one-time concessions at the present time because they’re currently working on an arbitrated contract which is over 4 years behind already.
Providence firefighters are ready and willing to be part of the solution to our present situation. We only wish (and would expect) to be held accountable for our proposals; for the facts. We can’t defend ourselves against intentional(?) misinformation and lies being spread about us. I can’t tell you how many times over the past few days that strangers and acquaintances have told me how unreasonable my union is being on this issue only to completely change their opinion after I present them with the real facts.
This is all we are expecting – let us be judged on the facts.
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