Labor LawMunicipal LiabilityPoliticsStaffingYou Can't Make This Stuff Up

Another Round Goes to NK Firefighters

Yadiyadiyada…. North Kingstown Firefighters IAFF Local 1651  …yadiyadiyada… prevailed once again ….yadiyadiyada…. state labor board … yadiyadiyada… same old song and dance …yadiyadiyada… getting to be repetitious …yadiyadiyada…

BTW… is anyone from North Kingstown (besides the firefighters) paying attention to what their town council is doing? These elected officials took an oath to comply with the law, not advance an extremist anti-union philosophy at taxpayer expense that ignores decades of settled law. Instead they have dug a huge financial hole for the taxpayers… for which they blame the firefighters… yadiyadiyada….

Here is the latest ruling: DecisionULP6071

Curt Varone

Curt Varone has over 50 years of fire service experience and 40 as a practicing attorney licensed in both Rhode Island and Maine. His background includes 29 years as a career firefighter in Providence (retiring as a Deputy Assistant Chief), as well as volunteer and paid on call experience. Besides his law degree, he has a MS in Forensic Psychology. He is the author of two books: Legal Considerations for Fire and Emergency Services, (2006, 2nd ed. 2011, 3rd ed. 2014, 4th ed. 2022) and Fire Officer's Legal Handbook (2007), and is a contributing editor for Firehouse Magazine writing the Fire Law column.

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6 Comments

  1. Good for the Brothers in North Kingstown. I hope they get a chance to sue the employer and recoup some of the money they were forced to spend.

  2. The “Order” gives that the impression that the town council and it’s attorneys would have gotten 30 days in jail if it was within the court’s power!

  3. michaelgrove

    I’d rather see the State Labor Board or a court order the NK town council members to be made PERSONALLY LIABLE for the costs they have inflicted on the NK taxpayers.

  4. Why couldn’t a judge hold the council liable for willfully disobeying the law? Maybe the union should sue the council members individually.

  5. Robert – the council is appealing the case to the RI Supreme Court hoping that the court will reverse decades of settled collective bargaining law based on political considerations. Until the RISC rules they have not wilfully disobeyed. It would one thing if the council was seeking a radical change in the law using their own personal funds to advance their political ideology. They are NOT! They are using taxpayer funds to further their own political ideology – and that is wrong.

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