Fire Law Blog Fire Service and Public Safety Legal Issues Blog by Curt Varone
A contentious labor dispute in Long Beach, New York has taken a step toward resolution as local officials and the union representing career firefighters agreed to avoid a proposed layoff and maintain a minimum of four firefighters on engines.
The long simmering dispute between Long Beach and IAFF Local 287 took a turn for the worse in 2014 when the department laid off five firefighters, and escalated further in 2015 when consultants from the International City/County Management Association (ICMA) recommended the department reduce the number of paid firefighters to 12 and hire 12 new civilian paramedics.
The settlement gives the 18 remaining Local 287 firefighters job security, avoids the threat of further layoffs, and allows Long Beach to utilize eight paramedics. According to newsday.com, it resolves two lawsuits between the parties, but leaves one open: whether Long Beach properly contracted with South Nassau Communities Hospital for extra EMS units.
