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responds to annually along with a statement about the union’s fear that pending the layoff of 8 paid firemen “will negatively affect your (residents) safety.”

CNBNews.net contacted two union members via email on Saturday asking that they elaborate further on some areas that were vague. For example,

Can you expand on what vehicle maintenance is being performed by the firemen? Just oil and lube jobs or more involved jobs such as fixing brakes etc.

As for the fireman performing this work, does he volunteer or is he doing the job during his regular shift work? And if so is he being taken away from work that he would normally do during the time he is working as a mechanic?

What do you mean when you state firefighters and fire officers of the GCFD have changed our pay cycle schedule? What was it (the pay cycle) before and what is it now? And how does that (change the pay cycle schedule) save the taxpayers’ money?

Explain "As well as additional cost saving measures? Can you be more specific? I went to your website www.gloucestercityfirefighters.org looking for that information as was suggested in the pamphlet but I was unable to find anything. Maybe I was looking in the wrong spot...if so point me to the right category.

As of this posting the union officials have not responded.

Similar questions were put forth to Councilman Nick Marchese, budget finance chairman.

Mr. Marchese writes,

“Your question about changing pay schedules, the fire fighters receive half time pay after they work 168 hours in a month.  Anything over 42 hours a week is paid additional straight time already.  I reminded the firemen that a salary individual usually doesn't get overtime and when they don't work they don't get paid.  When Mayor and Council began cutting overtime of the fire dept the fire fighters agreed to begin receiving this half time pay after they worked 212 hours instead of 168 hours as the superior officers have done for some time.  This is a contractual obligation and was something the fire fighters helped to do to reduce overtime cost.  This happened after their contract in 2009 was not renegotiated.  Another thing I recently reminded them was this would have never happened unless this Mayor and Council had not stepped up and made it mandatory that overtime would have to be reduced. 

We have been told before that the firemen do work on vehicles during work hours which I believe does save the city money, I don't know how much.  I am not sure what other cost saving measures they are talking about but they say it is on their web page. 
I think to be fair to everyone it is important to know that the fire committee and the finance committee have been meeting with the union reps of the fire fighters, the superior officers, and the volunteers many times over the past months.  Many of the meetings have been very positive.  The union reps brought some reduction ideas to the table approximately three weeks prior to the council meeting held at the Gloucester Heights hall where supporter of the firemen filled the room, mostly from out of town residents.

Mayor and Council promised within a week from the original meeting we would return to them with reduction ideas that would save fire fighter jobs, and we did.  These reductions would have saved all eight fire fighters jobs.  We heard nothing in return until the council meeting which they did not reply to our proposal.  Since that meeting we recently met again with very positive negotiations on both sides which were determined to be our last chance to save jobs and complete a contract for our fire department this year.

What I don't understand is why are the firemen putting up signs, writing web pages, knocking on doors and distributing pamphlets, and keep inviting people to the council meetings when we are so close to getting this thing accomplished?  The bottom line is the tax payers can no longer afford these increases and we all know that something has to give. 

The fire department is not the only department where major financial cuts are taking place.  I remain positive that prior to July 1st when the layoffs become final we will work together, compromise, and complete this contract into 2011 for our firemen.  We also hope our other departments will follow and complete their contracts.  To our disappointment those meetings have not continued, but we remain optimistic.  I respect and appreciate our fire fighters and all of the city employees and believe in their experience, hard work and heroism and am proud of them.  I know this time will pass and better times will be had again by all.”

In May the City of Gloucester City handed out "pink slips" to 15 employees. The layoffs are a result of a $1.3 million City budget deficit.

The breakdown of the number shows there are 8 in the fire department, 1 in the police department, 1 in community development and 5 in the department of administration. Four of those five are part-time employees.

The layoffs take effect July 1, 2010.