Firefighters Owed $4M Plus

NKFFA Takes the Numbers to Twitter

BY TRACEY C. O’NEILL

North Kingstown - On Monday, the North Kingstown Firefighters (NKFFA) IAFF Local 1651 took their fight with the Town of North Kingstown to Twitter, using social media streams to disseminate the numbers on damages – now more than $4 million. 

The actual amount, $4,056,268 encompasses monies owed from the date of the Town’s implementation of unilateral changes to the department’s wage, salary and platoon structure on March 11, 2012 through October 13, 2012 to its firefighters.

The now years-long court and administrative battle had the town squaring off with its firefighters in Superior Court and Rhode Island State Labor Relations Board hearings, with all decisions rendered in favor of the firefighters.

Superior Court Judge Brian P. Stern ruled in favor of the firefighters on December 14, 2012 in his “Unring the Bell” decision, ordering the Town of North Kingstown to “unring the bell” on unilateral changes made to platoon structure, wages, shifts  and hours and return their fire department to the structure known prior to the March 2012 implementation.

In multiple court and administrative hearings following Stern’s decision, including several Unfair Labor Practices complaints against the Town, the firefighters prevailed.

The Town requested and received a stay of execution from the state’s highest Supreme Court. Oral arguments are scheduled for October 29.