Middletown firefighters losing jobs after contract vote

Nearly a dozen Middletown firefighters will lose their jobs tonight after the union rejected a tentative contract agreement reached with the city earlier this month.

City officials said the agreement with the International Association of Fire Fighters Local 336 would have maintained all current firefighters without wage reductions. Union leaders, who recommended their members to approve the deal, and the city reached the tentative agreement Aug. 19.

Middletown officials announced Friday the union members rejected the proposed deal.

Now, the Tytus Avenue station, one of five in Middletown, is shutting down, said City Manager Doug Adkins. He said the station handled the lowest volume of calls in the city. After the layoffs, the city will employ more than 70 firefighters.

"The proposal saved 11 firefighter jobs, added back four unfilled positions, and allowed the city to stay with the preferred operational profile," Adkins said in a news release. "To actively vote to eliminate 15 of your own positions, to reduce public safety personnel available to protect the public, and to guarantee the operational profile that the union stated was the sticking point in negotiations makes no sense to me."

Eleven firefighters were sent layoff notices when the city budget was approved in November to help reduce the city's budget deficit, Adkins said. Federal grants helped keep those people employed through August, but the grant has run out.

Changes were also proposed to the city's emergency response operating model to better operate with reduced staff. Earlier this month, union president Greg Justice told the city the model would severely jeopardize the safety of residents and firefighters.

Adkins said in response, the "first emergency first" language was removed from the new proposed contract. He said the use of federal grants, union concessions and staff levels adjusting from attrition over two years would have helped fire expenditures reach a more sustainable level.

A message was left with the union office seeking comment Saturday night.

After the layoffs, the city is still budgeted to spend $1 million more than projected revenue this year.