Firefighters paid bonuses for bogus college degrees. Not anymore. A ruling has ended a long legal battle between the fire department and the fire union. News 4 WOAI's Jeff Coyle has new information on what some are calling a questionable use of your tax dollars last year.
Firefighters who earn college degrees get paid an extra $300 a month.
But some firefighters found a short cut. Online diploma mills, such as Suffield and LaCrosse Universities require no classes, but will mail you a degree for a fee.
"When an individual realizes that they can send in a substantial amount of money and do very little classwork that you have to suspect that particular type of degree program," said San Antonio Fire Chief Robert Ojeda.
When Chief Ojeda cut off the bonus pay, the Firefighters Union filed a grievance claiming the firefighters deserved the pay because the chief had already approved it.
"He assured those individuals that those were degrees that were acceptable," said union leader Chris Steele when he spoke to News 4 WOAI in August of 2006.
But the union lost in arbitration and there would be no bonus pay for bogus degrees.
"Now, will you try to seek the $30,000-plus back from the firefighters who were already paid?" Trouble Shooter Jeff Coyle asked Fire Chief Robert Ojeda. "Well, we're certainly looking at our options in that area. We're talking to the city attorney about what indeed we can do."
At issue, whether the city can dock future pay and whether they'll do it all at once or incrementally. By the way, the arbitration case cost about $4,000, which the city and the union split. Plus, an unknown amount of attorneys' fees for both sides.
Republished with permission of WOIA.
