Danbury Gives Up $2.3 Million Firefighter Grant
The grant anounced in October 2011 that would have paid for another 14 firefighters this year will not come to Danbury
Danbury is rejecting a federal $2.3 million grant that would have hired 14 firefighters, because firefighters rejected a contract 77-22.
"If there were retirements, at least we'd have bodies," said Lou Demici, the local firefighters union head. Demici said the grant would have hired 14 firefighters, who would have been trained and in place when older firefighters retired. "It's unfortunate, because the money was coming from a grant."
Danbury Mayor Mark Boughton said the city sent letters to the 14 firefighters the city hoped to hire, saying their conditional employment conditions hadn't been met. Because the union rejected the contract this winter, they will not be hired.
"We're disappointed," Boughton said. "Without the new contract, we couldn't afford to hire them."
Boughton said that while the federal grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency would have paid the firefighters for two years, after that they would have fallen under the existing firefighter contract. Boughton said that means the city would be paying for those workers into their retirement.
"We were very clear in negotiations and with the hirees we were not hiring them under the old contract," Boughton said. "The new contract was much more reasonable and affordable for us to manage."
Demici said the six union negotiators made major concessions in the contract, but the rank and file didn't like it. He said one problem was a firefighter injured on duty would have medical coverage for life under the old contract, but in the new contract that wouldn't happen until the firefighter had worked for the city for more than 25 years.
"We have a lot of young members on the job," Demici said. "They didn't like it."
The rejected contract for the city's 114 Danbury Fire Department firefighters has been sent to binding arbitration, and it may not be decided or in place until 2013, and that means the city won't get this federal grant.
marybeth spink
7:55 am on Saturday, February 11, 2012
What a great loss for the City of Danbury, there is certainly always a need for firefighters. It's interesting that the Mayor projected that in two years the city would still be in a financial mess and not be able to support the free increase of manpower.
g
8:14 am on Saturday, February 11, 2012
Marybeth,
This wouldn't be free to the city. Costs for firefighters continue long after and beyond any single grant. The city needs sustainable relationships with it's unions. It can't be easy for any mayor to refuse a grant like this. Lets hope the firefighters and city can work out a constructive relationship over time.
William Tuffs
9:43 am on Saturday, February 11, 2012
Please notice that the city held off a tentative agreement on this contract until a few weeks before the start of the academy class to pressure the acceptance of the contract by the union. This was just a backhanded attempt to strong-arm the union into accepting a contract with grossly slashed ON THE JOB medical benefits, then attempt to spin it to the public as greed and indifference on the part of the firefighters by not accepting.
g
2:29 pm on Saturday, February 11, 2012
William,
The union must hold fast to it's beliefs, as must city management. Each are elected to represent their constituents. Health insurance costs have skyrocketed in recent years. If the city won't pay for the health insurance the firefighters want, could the union work a bridge out of dues? If not, by 2014 the new health reform laws will be in effect, and Danbury can allow firefighters to get great plans via an insurance connector.
Thomas Gavin
10:30 pm on Saturday, February 11, 2012
I believe that Mr Tuffs may have mistyped. I think he meant "...grossly slashed on the job INJURY medical benefits...."
Filo Beddoe
7:45 am on Monday, February 13, 2012
Lets see here........Cops and Firemen now need to worry that if they're hurt protecting and serving and unable to work that they will be not taken care of........sounds like Danbury's in trouble. Citizens should speak up or at least not complain when you suffer from the ripple effect of this.
Barbara Twitchell
9:39 am on Monday, February 13, 2012
If a firefighter is hurt on the job, where he cannot work any more, certainly the City should take care of them. The job has very high risks that come with it and I for one am glad there are people willing to do it.
g
5:11 pm on Tuesday, February 14, 2012
Often there is a long queue of applicants, the hardest part is cutting down the list of many who want each of these "undesirable" high paying, high benefit jobs.