PROVIDENCE – Despite a pending legal challenge, the Senate is poised to vote Tuesday to extend the state's never-ending-contract law to local police and fire department employees, over the angry howls of mayors and town administrators.
North Providence Mayor Charles Lombardi, writing in his role as president of the Rhode Island League of Cities and Towns, begged the senators not to pass the bills, which have long been sought by local public-employee unions.
In a letter to the senators, Lombardi said the three bills, taken together, would remove any leverage mayors and administrators have in contract negotiations and leave them no choice but tax hikes or service cuts if expenses for health insurance, for example, spiral.
"Dear Senator," the letter begins. "Personnel costs represent more than 70% of local budgets, and nearly all the costs associated with personnel are governed by contracts – salary, benefits, pension costs in locally administered plans and retiree health benefits."
"These bills would further tie the hands of municipal leaders in contract negotiations and put more decisions in the hands of unelected arbitrators.... Cities and towns cannot afford the long-term costs of lifetime contracts and binding arbitration – both unfunded mandates."
Nineteen cities and towns are already in court challenging the legality of the "continuing contracts law" the legislature passed for teachers in 2019.
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