LOCKPORT – The Lockport Professional Fire Fighters used an on-duty city fire truck to serve court papers at the private office of the city’s attorney Monday, as Fire Chief Thomas J. Passuite returned minimum staffing levels to nine firefighters per shift instead of the cut to seven that the city had instituted last week.
State Supreme Court Justice Ralph A. Boniello III signed a temporary restraining order Friday, blocking the cutbacks, which included taking one of the city’s two ambulances out of service. The city made the moves to prevent high overtime costs.
The legality of the reductions will be argued in court May 14.
Deputy Corporation Counsel David E. Blackley wasn’t in his office when the fire truck arrived, but he was astonished at the news from his secretary. “I think it speaks volumes,” Blackley said, accusing the union of “arrogance.”
“One of the union officers kept his crew intact, so he went over to Blackley’s office to serve the papers,” union president Kevin W. Pratt said. “It’s no different then the former mayor using on-duty police officers to deliver layoff notices to the houses of the seven laid-off firefighters.”
email: tprohaska@buffnews.com
State Supreme Court Justice Ralph A. Boniello III signed a temporary restraining order Friday, blocking the cutbacks, which included taking one of the city’s two ambulances out of service. The city made the moves to prevent high overtime costs.
The legality of the reductions will be argued in court May 14.
Deputy Corporation Counsel David E. Blackley wasn’t in his office when the fire truck arrived, but he was astonished at the news from his secretary. “I think it speaks volumes,” Blackley said, accusing the union of “arrogance.”
“One of the union officers kept his crew intact, so he went over to Blackley’s office to serve the papers,” union president Kevin W. Pratt said. “It’s no different then the former mayor using on-duty police officers to deliver layoff notices to the houses of the seven laid-off firefighters.”
email: tprohaska@buffnews.com