A dispute over restructuring the East Greenwich Fire Department returned to court Monday, just hours before the matter is once again taken up by the Town Council.
The town wants to reorganize the fire department into a three-platoon, 56-hour work week structure and eliminate six jobs. No decision was made in court Monday on whether or not the town has the authority to do so.
Elizabeth Wiens, who is representing the firefighters' union, argued to the judge that when the Town Council last voted in April to reorganize the department, they thought it was a conditional vote and not a final one to implement the plan. Wiens also claimed the council had not looked at the possible financial and safety impacts of the proposal.