Winston-Salem Journal, N.C.
(TNS)
The union leader for Winston-Salem firefighters is accusing city administrators of retaliating against him and his members by expediting a council vote on proposed changes to vacation and sick time that they oppose.
The new policy would essentially cut paid leave in half for Winston-Salem Fire Department firefighters.
City Manager Pat Pate has said he wants to bring the department’s vacation and sick time more in line with neighboring departments while also adjusting pay scales to be more competitive.
At a June 9 Committee of the Whole meeting, in which council members essentially lay out the agenda for their next regular gathering, Assistant City Manager Sharon Wojda provided a detailed timeline — accompanied by a PowerPoint slide — for next steps on the proposed changes.
A schedule presented June 9 for bringing proposed changes in vacation and sick time for Winston-Salem firefighters to city council listed Sept. 2 as the expected date. However, the item is on council's Monday agenda.
That schedule called for proposed policy revisions on firefighter leave to be brought to the General Government Committee in August, then to the full council for approval in September.
However, a resolution to make the changes now is on Monday’s council agenda.
“After the ( June 9) Committee of the Whole meeting, staff was asked to bring these changes to Council for adoption in June with the other personnel resolution changes,” according to an “action request form” accompanying the agenda item.
Inclusion of the firefighter leave resolution caught Perry Parrinello, president of the local firefighters union and a vocal critic of the changes, off guard.
He noted that because public comments are only welcome at council’s first meeting of the month, there will be no opportunity for him and others to express their opposition at Monday’s meeting.
“This ... seems like retaliation, giving me no time to speak to council (about how) we still do not like this proposal,” said Parrinello, a Winston-Salem firefighter who has spoken against the proposal at previous meetings.
Monday’s meeting agenda also doesn’t specify that the item deals with firefighter pay specifically.
“Resolution Amending Sections 30 and 44 of the City of Winston-Salem Personnel Resolution,” it reads.
“That’s been their M.O. this whole time,” Parrinello said. “Lots of sneaky language, timelines, etc.”
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