Menino says union's offer is inadequate
After the Boston firefighters made a last minute concession to the City Council in hopes of achieving an acceptance of the arbitration award, the Mayor wants the Council to get more. The firefighters offered to delay a 2.5% raise for drug and alcohol testing for a year, saving the city $4.3 million, but the Mayor said in a letter to the Council that it was not enough for them to approve the contract. The Mayor's letter did not include any concrete proposals of other plans, but said that he believes that there are alternatives that have not been explored, and that the city cannot afford the contract. The City Council president said that he applauded the concession made by the firefighters, and that if the Mayor wanted a deal, he expected him to demonstrate the "same level of good will". The head of the firefighters union said that he was open to negotiation, but that the firefighters have not had a raise for five years, when their last contract expired. The Mayor again brought up the possibility of extending the contract by one year. If passed, the contract will end on June 30, and will lead to negotiations that the Mayor believes will have the firefighters asking for another raise. The City Council is set to vote on Wednesday.
See "Menino says union's offer is inadequate", Lisa Wangsness and Maria Sacchetti, The Boston Globe, June 6, 2010