by Michael Monks
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The months-long battle between Covington's elected and appointed leadership and the city's fire department landed in a Kenton County courtroom this morning. Judge Gregory Bartlett rejected firefighter union Local 38's attempt to impose a restraining order on the city to halt the reduction of staffing per shift from 30 to 27 on the grounds that that responsibility belongs in the legislative process and not the courts. In a proceeding that saw a former Covington fire chief cross-examine the current one, many of the familiar arguments from both sides resurfaced.
"This is not about public safety, this is manufactured drama," barked Covington City Solicitor Frank Warnock. "This is about money and power. Local 38 has to take care of their own but we have to look at the whole city. As much as Local 38 doesn't want to talk about it, the city is in financial trouble."
360 Fireworks Party
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
Monday, September 26, 2011
CITY FIREFIGHTERS BLAST REDUCTIONS, COMMISSIONER BLASTS FIREFIGHTERS
by Michael Monks
Email Michael
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@theRCnews on Twitter
Covington firefighter union Local 38 says the public's safety is jeopardized by the shuttering of Pumper One at Scott & Robbins, which the firefighters say is the city's busiest. In addition to the alleged challenge of keeping public safety at a maximum, Local 38 claims that the move is in violation of the minimum manning agreement signed on by the union and the city in November 2010. Local 38 President Chris Black said in a release that the agreement was set at a level so low that "the union never thought it would be violated."
"We run most of our fire trucks with three, but sometimes as few as two firefighters, a number dangerously low to begin with," Black said. "And now the city wants to take us below even that." As part of a contingency plan to balance a projected $4 million budget deficit, Covington commissioners voted to reduce firefighter staffs from thirty per shift to twenty-seven. That move went into effect this morning at 8AM along with the closure of Pumper One.
Email Michael
http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/The-River-City-News/244172412265645
@theRCnews on Twitter
Covington firefighter union Local 38 says the public's safety is jeopardized by the shuttering of Pumper One at Scott & Robbins, which the firefighters say is the city's busiest. In addition to the alleged challenge of keeping public safety at a maximum, Local 38 claims that the move is in violation of the minimum manning agreement signed on by the union and the city in November 2010. Local 38 President Chris Black said in a release that the agreement was set at a level so low that "the union never thought it would be violated."
"We run most of our fire trucks with three, but sometimes as few as two firefighters, a number dangerously low to begin with," Black said. "And now the city wants to take us below even that." As part of a contingency plan to balance a projected $4 million budget deficit, Covington commissioners voted to reduce firefighter staffs from thirty per shift to twenty-seven. That move went into effect this morning at 8AM along with the closure of Pumper One.
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