By Olivia Scheck
DNAinfo Reporter/Producer
MANHATTAN — New York City Firefighters may have to make do with fewer men per shift.
Labor Relations Commissioner James Hanley told the Uniformed Firefighters Association (UFA) in a Tuesday letter that he plans to let a previous deal, which allows some engine companies to staff an extra man per shift, to lapse at the end of January, the Wall Street Journal reported.
The deal, called the "Roster Staffing Agreement," allowed 60 engine companies to staff five men instead of four per shift – an arrangement which Fire Commissioner Salvatore Cassano calls unnecessary.
But the UFA insisted in a statement that getting rid of these fifth men at the city's busiest fire houses would "create an adverse impact on the safety of Firefighters and the public, significantly increasing the time it takes to stretch lines and get water on the fire."
Under the current Roster Staffing Agreement, which was renewed in 2006, the extra staffing is tied to the percentage of firefighters who choose to take medical leave. If the percentage exceeds 7.5 then the agreement is nullified. Thus, the arrangement gave firefighters, who receive overtime payments for the extra shifts, incentive to keep down the number of people who take leave.
In the Labor Relations Commissioner's letter, he said that he would tie the medical leave numbers to another firefighter benefit instead, promising to ban a practice which allows firefighters trade shifts if the medical leave numbers rise above 7.5 percent, according to the Journal.
Whether the commissioner is able to implement the change may depend on a judge's interpretation of state labor laws, which might require the city to negotiate with the union before allowing it to expire, the Journal said.
Eliminating the extra firefighter shifts would save $30 million over the next five years, the city said, according to the paper.
