Borough leaders recently informed firefighters here they would eliminate unionized, full-time positions and transition to a department that relies on part-timers, volunteers and subcontractors.
Firefighters whose jobs are on the line are steamed and residents plan to stage a protest outside of Tuesday night’s council meeting at the borough’s municipal
“The fire department has religiously worked in the best interest of the borough,” said firefighter John Fronzoni, a 20-year veteran who is union steward for the department.
Larksville, a West Side town of about 4,700 residents, currently has round-the-clock paid fire coverage staffed by three full-timers and 11 part-timers.
Council members say the COVID-19 pandemic has dried up the town’s tax base and they can no longer afford a full-time fire crew. They say the fire union’s demands — such as annual five-percent pay increases and no increase in health care contributions — were unrealistic in this day in age.