CCFD Union: 'Labor Dispute Well Ablaze'

The following is a statement provided to Patch by the Coventry Professional Fire Fighters, Local 3372 union Wednesday afternoon.

The Central Coventry Fire Firefighters have filed several petitions with Superior court this past Friday as well as formal charges with the State Labor Relations Board. They have also requested that the Attorney General investigate the Boards actions, says President of the Firefighters union, David Gorman.

In a motion filed Friday with the superior court, the firefighters request that the court mandate compliance and conformity with the current collective bargaining agreement and to enjoin Central Coventry Fire District from failing and refusing to comply with the terms of the collective bargaining agreement. 

“The necessity of this injunction is to preserve the integrity of the arbitral process and to prevent other irreparable harm to the employees of the district” Gorman said. “I have no faith whatsoever that this board has the competency to lead the district out the current situation and I know that they do not have the willingness or desire to do so. In fact, by their actions, it is clear that this board has now fabricated a financial crisis in a veiled attempt to position themselves to erode the collective bargaining process."

Gorman asserts that ever since the commencement of the Special Mastership, that the firefighters have performed their duties without reservation, through periods of non-payment of wages, turmoil, and the looming threat of termination. Over the course of the Special Mastership proceedings, the Firefighters negotiated in good faith with the Special Master and the Board of Directors to allow various concessions to the contract and to give relief to the taxpayers. Gorman further states that in mid-October, the Board had to be court ordered to meet with the union. 

“Since day one, we have made ourselves available to the special master and to this board and have been willing and anxious to discuss the terms and conditions of our contract, to seek an amicable resolution, but the Board clearly drew that line in the sand when they did not want to meet to discuss the contract, had to be court ordered to meet with us and later refuted our offer of $1,100,000 in concessions without any further discussion," Gorman continued. "To me this shows their intentions and motives right from the onset." 

Gorman went on to say that the board “simply went through the motions to satisfy the court and had no real intentions to work together”.

In another motion filed to the court, the firefighters request that they be paid for all money that has been withheld to them over the course of the last year and a half. According to records filed with the court, the amount is nearly $700,000. According to Gorman the Board had an opportunity to accept the unions offer and the tentative agreement that was reached, to negotiate and reduce some of the money that is owed to the employees, for both now and the future, but unfortunately they made a poor business decision and chose to play hardball.

The firefighters have also filed a complaint and charges with the State Labor Relations Board for unfair labor practices. The charges aver that on numerous occasions, the Board, specifically President Fred Gralinski, made statements, both to the media and the public threatening termination for failure to comply with their beliefs and ideologies, that the board has repeatedly made blatantly false and erroneous comments only to incite public outrage, that the Board representatives attended the three bargaining sessions without any real authority and unprepared to discuss substantive issues. 

Further, the charges state that during the court ordered negotiations, the Board failed to make any proposal, and did not assert that the Union’s proposal was inadequate to meet financial concerns. That after the Board failed to ratify the concession agreement, the Board presented a budget at the annual budget meeting and to the Court, which included the monetary savings reached in the tentative agreement, and then asked the court to utilize the approved budget money to subcontract services normally provided by the Union, to a private contractor service and/or paid on call volunteers. 

“This flies in the face of the intent and spirit of the good faith bargaining process”, Gorman said.

The union will also file an objection with the court relating to the Boards attorney fees. Under the special mastership proceedings, any bills or invoices must have the approval of the court before they can be paid. The Board is represented by the law firm of Gorham & Gorham which is the same firm that performed services for Representative Patricia Morgan and her taskforce just prior to the board being elected. The union questions charges of nearly $15,000 for work performed on behalf of the Board since July and September. 

“I understand the need for an attorney, I get it, but I don’t believe that they even follow their own attorney’s advice. To me this is money wasted”, said Gorman.

Also, on the heels of a very heated meeting last week where the Board abruptly adjourned to closed session after they refused to answer some tough questioning by the public, and potentially violated first amendments rights to free speech, Gorman says he has filed several complaints with the Rhode Island Attorney General’s Office requesting the attorney general to investigate the Board's actions. 

“Frankly, I am sick of this Board's cavalier attitude, their attempts at hiding behind the veil of the court, blaming everyone else for their incompetency and their overall disregard for the law," Gorman continued. "The Central Coventry Board of Directors acts as if the firefighters don’t exist, they continue to belittle us and any other firefighter at every public meeting, they treat us as if we are second class citizens."

The next CCFD court hearing is scheduled for 9:30 a.m. Friday, Nov. 22 at Kent County Superior Court, 222 Quaker Lane, Warwick.