Uniontown Firefighters Prevail Against Effort to Eliminate the Department

A labor dispute in Uniontown, Pennsylvania has resulted in an arbitration panel ruling that the city must rehire laid off firefighters, and stop plans to lay off the remainder of the department at the end of the year.

The ruling issued on September 24, 2010 will block the attempt by the city to create an all-volunteer department to save money. According to media sources, Mayor Ed Fike, who originally sought to eliminate the career firefighters,  now plans to use a Federal grant to help fund the restored positions.

The arbitration ruling also gave the firefighters a contract through 2014.

More on the story.

About Curt Varone

Curt Varone has over 45 years of fire service experience and 35 as a practicing attorney licensed in both Rhode Island and Maine. His background includes 29 years as a career firefighter in Providence (retiring as a Deputy Assistant Chief), as well as volunteer and paid on call experience. He is the author of two books: Legal Considerations for Fire and Emergency Services, (2006, 2nd ed. 2011, 3rd ed. 2014, 4th ed. 2022) and Fire Officer's Legal Handbook (2007), and is a contributing editor for Firehouse Magazine writing the Fire Law column.
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