City cops aren't the only ones who may get pink slips as a result of Paterson’s budget crisis.
The tentative layoff plan crafted by Mayor Andre Sayegh's administration would terminate 89 city firefighters in addition to the 112 Paterson police officers whose jobs are in danger, union leaders said Wednesday.
The city also is weighing the possibility of requiring all civilian employees – as many as 800 people – to take 10 nonpaid furlough days between now and the end of June.
“If they do this it would be catastrophic for the city,” said Kyle Hughes, president of the union that represents Paterson firefighters. “Everybody is flat out worried.”
Paterson has about 375 firefighters, so the possible layoffs would affect about 25 percent of the department. Hughes said the proposed layoffs would affect firefighters who have been on the job for as long as five years.
City Council President Maritza Davila said the mayor’s staff has not yet presented any of its layoff plans to the governing body. “Just because the administration is putting this out there doesn’t mean we’re going to support it,” said Davila.