Firefighters in Accord

The state-appointed receiver for Central Falls last week announced that he reached an agreement with the firefighters’ union to cut pay and benefits.

Mark Pfeiffer negotiated changes to a collective bargaining agreement with the International Association of Fire Fighters Local 1485 to save $289,000 in the current fiscal year. The union represents 41 employees.

Last month, Pfeiffer, a retired associate justice of the Rhode Island Superior Court, unveiled a $16.8 million fiscal 2011 budget that closed a $6.3 million deficit.

In addition to $2.1 million of deficit borrowing, scrapping a $3.4 million contribution to police and fire pensions, and tax increases, the budget counted on $942,182 in personnel savings. Some of those savings required union concessions like those announced last week. Union members ratified an agreement that cuts or delays planned wage increases, vacation time, medical-related payments, and reduces overtime by hiring new personnel.

Pfeiffer thanked the union and its leadership for agreeing to the concessions.

“We commend them for their assistance in achieving the personnel savings required to bring the FY 2011 budget into balance,” Pfeiffer said in a news release.

Next on Pfeiffer’s agenda is looking into the finances of the Wyatt Detention Center, the Providence Journal reported. Excess revenue from the detention center goes to the city, but the center has not been generating surpluses since the federal government pulled out immigration detainees following the death of one in 2008.

Pfeiffer was appointed in July to oversee the city’s finances after the city first went into judicial receivership. Rhode Island has since enacted new laws for distressed municipalities.

For reprint and licensing requests for this article, click here.
MORE FROM BOND BUYER