Warwick is taking a firefighters’ union to court over payments that were made to fire department workers.
The city said Mayor Frank Picozzi is suing Local 2748 of the International Association of Fire Fighters in Superior Court. The lawsuit was authorized by the City Council.
The lawsuit contends that the city made about $385,000 in overpayments in error to fire department employees.
The city said a report released last year found that “the erroneous overpayments were based upon an April 23, 2013, Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) entered into between the union and the then-Chief allowing accrual of sick time beyond the amount authorized by the then-in-effect Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA).”
“Under law, the Collective Bargaining Agreement cannot be altered or amended without the signature of the Mayor and approval from the city council. That process was not followed.”