After a lengthy, well-attended hearing, the Council voted 7-2 to approve a three-year firefighters’ contract carrying roughly 13% in raises and other costs projected near an extra $1 million a year, avoiding a costlier arbitration process. In closing remarks, Councilman Gebhart pushed back on colleagues’ warnings about long-term financial risk, arguing the contract was designed for predictability and that steady, disciplined management ā not any single contract ā is what determines the city’s fiscal trajectory.
He also noted that while Warwick firefighters are among the best-paid in the state, a large share of that pay is absorbed by pension and health care costs.
Source: Warwick Beacon