Lombardi explains views on the sick day, overtime issues with firefighters union

NORTH PROVIDENCE - Sometimes Mayor Charles Lombardi calls overtime for the Fire Department excessive and a burden on taxpayers. But he will need to pay more overtime to firefighters - because he has suspended two of them.

Lombardi had much to say when asked to justify the expense of about $6,000:

"The fact of the matter is, that doesn't answer if they're right, if this type of behavior should be tolerated. So just let them keep doing this then?" He asked rhetorically. "Let them keep calling in sick? Let them keep taking advantage of the town? This is the attitude we need to get rid of!"

"Pose the question of, 'Did they do right?'" Lombardi said.

"There's two firefighters in the station. They came to work. Within minutes of those individuals being told they were being assigned they immediately called in sick," he said.

Why would the firefighters do this?

"Because they're spoiled. They were assigned to another truck together, three of them. They stayed together as a group, the heavy rescue truck. So there was going to be five," he said.

"I wish I could have sent them home but the contract says I can't.

"If those two were home and called in for overtime they would have ridden any truck that they could," he said.

When asked whether taxpayers would question his action, Lombardi replied that he has heard nothing but positive responses, both on the street and from phone calls.

"My phone rang off the wall, 'Do not back off this, stay strong,'" he said.

"They're out of control. We're trying to get a handle on their overtime."

Lombardi said that he reached out to union local president John Silva to talk about the length of the proposed suspension. Silva came to Lombardi's office to talk. The mayor said he began by saying:

"John, apparently you think this 10-day suspension is too long. What do you think is an appropriate suspension," and he said Silva indicated by shrugging that there shouldn't be any suspension.

"Can we agree the chief is going to tell you and your men what trucks to ride? He said, 'Yeah.' So you're going to tell me we should turn a blind eye and not have any discipline?" Lombardi concluded his account of the meeting, and said:

"I don't have any problem with the union. In this situation, the union is trying to make me believe this wrong is all right.

"The thing that really bothers me is we have great men and women on this Fire Department. And you've got a few individuals that contaminate the Fire Department because the union wants to treat this as one (union). So I'm forced to treat all the other people as one. It's upsetting."

Lombardi also said that when he talks with the union officials, "I get the sense that they agree with me but they are forced to defend the indefensible."

Lombardi said he required written doctor's excuses from the men who called in sick; Silva said this is the first time in his 22 years on the department that this was required, other than for illnesses of more than three days.

Lombardi said he doubted the authenticity of the doctor's notes and said the firefighters feigned their illnesses, one claiming flu-like symptoms and the other gastric pain.

Another firefighter, not Silva, said to Lombardi, "What are you, a doctor?"

Lombardi reiterated to The Breeze his point that "The taxpayers, the mayor and the council are responsible for the operation of the Fire Department."

Since it is likely that the union will grieve the suspensions of the two firefighters, and the town might lose in an arbitration hearing, with legal fees to pay all the while, Lombardi was asked what he hoped to prove.

"I'm going to prove they're blatant in taking advantage of the taxpayers and that's why the overtime is out of control." The town paid $1 million in overtime last year, he said. Silva has said that the town usually budgets about $900,000 annually to cover firefighter absences.

Lombardi went on:

"The reason why we are where we are is because there's a lack of discipline and it needs to stop."

Is this directed at Chief Albert Bertoncini?

"This is not directed at the chief. It's directed at the union; they have no self-discipline."

The mayor said the union is looking bad, referring to the arrest of Battalion Chief David Charello on charges that he inflated his overtime hours. Charello is suspended without pay while he defends himself against the criminal charges.

Lombardi said his pursuit of these matters aren't related to contract talks.

Both Lombardi and Silva said they anticipated that the negotiating sessions would continue after last night's scheduled meeting.