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Town Council posts emergency hearing notice on weekend.
Schedules hearing for Monday morning.
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North
Kingstown - The North Kingstown Firefighters’ Union, International
Association of Firefighters (IAFF) Local 1651 plans
to return its members to their regular schedule and platoon structure on Sunday
morning.
The decision comes as a result of an order handed down by the State Labor Relations Board (SLRB) on Friday afternoon as a result of the Town bargaining in bad faith and its implementation of unilateral changes to department platoon structure, wages, and hours of work.
“We
fully intend to be present to comply with the Labor Board’s decision in
returning to a 4-platoon system on Sunday,” said Raymond Furtado, Union
President.
Town
manager, Michael Embury, in response to the Union’s press release on Friday,
sent memorandum dated September 28 to Furtado, stating the town’s
intention to appeal the SLRB decision and to maintain the 3-platoon system as
unilaterally implemented in March 2012, pending appeal.
Embury’s
correspondence further implied that the Town was unable to file an appeal on
Friday as the State Labor Relations Board “waited to render their decision
at a time and date when the court was unavailable.”
Town
Council President, Elizabeth Dolan, who has never waivered in her opinion that
the Town was justified in exercising its managerial rights over the
firefighters, said that legal counsel was ready to file a motion to stay the
entire remedial order on Monday.
“We
fully anticipated this decision from the Labor Board. It comes as no surprise,
whatsoever,” said Dolan.
Dolan
who also sits as a member of the Labor Board recused herself from Board
hearings regarding issues surrounding the town’s unilateral actions in which
she participated.
Early
Saturday evening, Furtado fired off a letter to Embury stating the Union’s
intentions to comply with the SLRB ruling, irregardless of any intentions of
the Town to file another appeal.
“The
Town had released in numerous venues the intention to appeal the decision of
the RISLRB before the final decision had even been completed. However, the
intentions of the Town are not germane to the implementation of the order of the
RISLRB,” said Furtado.
Furtado
averred that pursuant to Rhode Island Law, any appeal by the Town or
request to stay was moot and did not preclude the Union from exercising its
right to comply with the RISLRB order.
”Pursuant
to RIGL 28-7-30, the implementation of an order by the RISLRB shall not be
stayed by judicial proceedings,”
The
Union president noted that the firefighters’ return to their normal shifts, to
be implemented on Sunday morning, was consistent with the order of the SLRB and
that any attempt by the Town to block implementation of the order would be a
knowing and willful violation of the law.
Furtado
indicated that firefighters would report for duty on Sunday morning to resume
their regular schedules under the 4-platoon structure and asked that command
staff be instructed to fill any vacancies in staffing accordingly.
Also
on Saturday evening, the Town filed notice with the Rhode Island Secretary of
State of its intention to hold an emergency meeting at 9:00 am on Monday
morning.
The
notice, rich in drama, states “Motion to hold an emergency meeting to address
an unexpected occurrence that requires immediate action to protect the
public.”
Read
the Labor Board decision by clicking on this link: DecisionULP6088