This week our part time legislature passed Senate Bill 46, a bill aimed at getting much needed money and well deserved money to Louisville Metro Firefighters. Professional Firefighters, just like police are eligible for $3,100.00 per year for completing training for their prospective jobs. This ensures that all of our professional public safety personnel continue to train and keep up to date on new and improved tactics, equipment & methods.
This incentive pay comes from the state based upon fees that are assessed on insurance premiums of Kentucky residents. This money does not come out of tax dollars.
The bill is sitting on the governor's desk, awaiting his signature in order to make it law. Governor Beshear can do one of three things with this bill: sign it, ignore it or veto it. The first 2 option would mean immediate passage of the bill. The last would be disastrous for the Louisville Firefighters.
It is aimed at making the incentive pay ineligible to be factored into overtime calculations. Abramson bemoaned the fact that he lost yet another court challenge back in December and that the Firefighters (along with those dastardly Police, EMS and Corrections Officers) were responsible for most of the city's woes. The court ruling found that the language of the contract included all monies earned and that they had been underpaid for years.
Of course the Abramson administration instead of admitting that they made a mistake decided to act vindictively against the firefighters. The mayor told them that if they accepted his plan to forego their pay raises that he would continue to pay them their incentive pay. However, metro government had already sent a letter to the state to stop requesting the money. He had every intention of taking a cheap shot at them after losing another round in court.
The Firefighters told him resoundingly that they would not be a party to his little blackmail scheme and hunkered down awaiting the next salvo knowing it would affect every member, but that they were being guided by something Abramson seems to lack: conscience and principals.
This bill is intended to rectify the situation, because the state has no office set up to pay these benefits directly to the intended person. Abramson knew this and knew his cheap shot would get into the pockets of every firefighter because they publicly proved him wrong time and time again in court.
Every one of these issues could have been settled simply through negotiations; however ?The Jerry? doesn't negotiate. He delivers ultimatums and when he is told ?no? he throws a tantrum. His tantrums are usually followed by a court challenge that waste taxpayer dollars. His little conniption fits have cost this city tens of millions of dollars just because he refuses to admit he is wrong.
Once again one of his overpaid blustering mouth pieces when asked for a statement could not give a straight answer. Keri Richardson said that when the law goes into effect that the City would resume requesting the money but that no decision has been made on the back pay.
So basically the Abramson administration is thumbing their noses at each and every one of our brave firefighters and saying ?HA! HA!? ?We screwed you out of over a thousand dollars!?
The State Fire Commission said that the money that was not paid out for the past 3 ½ months is just waiting for someone from Metro Government to request it so that it could be paid retroactively.
They need to make this right and make it right immediately.
Craig Willman, President of the firefighter's union is looking forward to the passage of this legislation because the lack of this money has hurt many of his members.
We are always proud of Firefighters, but they have taken an enormous personal sacrifice in standing up for what is right and what they believe in. My hat is off to my LFD brethren for weathering this storm.