It appears the courts will have the final say as to whether firefighters hired on or after July 1, 2012, are members of the city’s Tier II pension plan, as are city municipal employees and police hired of that date, or whether they are members of the more lucrative pension plan of their veteran co-workers.
It has been estimated including 44 firefighters in the richer of the two pension plans could cost taxpayers an additional $2.6 million.
In June, the city filed suit in Superior Court contesting an arbitration ruling in favor of Warwick Firefighters Local 2748. The ruling found that in spite of an ordinance establishing the Tier II plan – which was approved by the City Council in May 2011 – the plan was not included in the firefighters’ collective bargaining agreement and is therefore inapplicable.
In its appeal of the arbitration award made in March, the city argues firefighters failed of follow the deadline to grieve implementation of Tier II and that the “arbitrators’ award was irrational, in excess of their authority, and rendered in manifest disregard of the contract, applicable law and public policy.”