A contract amendment, expected to be approved Tuesday night by the Stockton City Council, apparently won’t leave anyone satisfied.
“We’re both unhappy about it, so that makes it a good agreement. We didn’t get where we needed to go, but this is as good as it gets,” said Stockton Mayor Ann Johnston.
Last November, the firefighters union in Stockton agreed to about $10 million in cuts to save firefighter jobs. But then the city asked for additional cuts, and that’s where the relationship soured.
The city doesn’t feel the union gave up enough. The union doesn’t feel it should help the city without other unions doing the same.
“If you look at the numbers, of what we’ve done, and other bargaining units, we’ve gone above and beyond,” said union member and Stockton firefighter Greg Biddle.
The current contract continues until 2011 when the city is expected to ask the fire union for even more reductions.
Until then, Johnston said other departments like parks and the library will be asked to help close the ongoing budget gap.
by tdaly@news10.net
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