Providence Mobile Newsroom
Judge orders firefighters who called in sick to return to work
(Providence-AP) -- A Superior Court judge has granted Providence Mayor David Cicilline a restraining order to make city firefighters to go back to work.
A number of city firefighters called in sick Tuesday and Wednesday.
The mayor criticized them today, saying their actions put others at risk. But the city was able to maintain minimum mandatory staffing levels.
It is not known whether union negotiations or recent personnel moves prompted the apparent sickout.
The firefighters have been without a contract since June 2001. Cicilline has been seeking concessions from their union on health care costs.
In recent personnel moves, two department administrators, Guy Lanzi and David Costa, have been moved into acting assistant chief positions by Acting Chief Gary Mulcahy.
A message left by The Associated Press at Mulcahy's office wasn't immediately returned.
|
