New Rochelle’s fire union voted to defer raises for a year to spare the jobs of six firefighters. The vote was counted today, said union president Byron Gray. The union had to choose between deferring raises or laying off six people, after the City Council cut funding to the department in the 2010 city budget. The deferral means fire fighters will be paid the cash value of the raise upon retirement. Fire fighters have been vocal in protesting the cuts and last week picketed outside a councilman’s store and handed out fliers about the situation.
Another union, Local 663 representing public works employees, held a similar vote this week but went the other way. The union voted to keep the raises and will lose three community service officers.
