The city will pay firefighters $5.9 million to settle multiple legal complaints regarding overtime and shift changes filed in recent years, according to the mayor’s office.
The deal, which still needs to be approved by members of the Local 799 of International Association of Firefighters and judges in Rhode Island Superior and U.S. District courts, would put an end to a feud that has dominated Mayor Jorge Elorza’s first term.
Many of the complaints stem from Elorza’s decision to change the Fire Department from a four-platoon staffing plan to one with three-platoons in an attempt to save money. This changed the average work week for a firefighter from 42 to 56 hours, which riled union leaders.
Elorza’s goal was to save millions of dollars a year in overtime cost, but it led to the retirement of nearly 100 firefighters and an ongoing squabble between the firefighters union and the administration.