Legal Battles Smolder On in Central Coventry Fire District

COVENTRY, RI—Six months after being extricated from Chapter 9 bankruptcy, the legal fight between Coventry firefighters and the Central Coventry Fire District board continues to lumber on.

On Monday, lawyers for both the CCFD and the International Association of Firefighters Local 3372, the Coventry firefighters union, will begin oral arguments in Superior Court.

The fire board is seeking declaratory relief from the five-year union contract negotiated between firefighters and former Receiver Mark Pfeiffer, who was in charge of the district while it was under bankruptcy protections.

The board, in its filing, also is asking a judge to declare that taxpayers in the district "are not required to fund, through he raising of taxes, otherwise valid collective bargaining agreements entered into by the board of directors."

And the board seeks a declaration that the taxpayers "have the right to determine whether, and if so, the methods, means, processes and personnel by which, fire prevention, fire suppression and/or EMS services are to be provided in CCFD."

Union officials say the filing is another attempt by familiar forces within the district to break up the union and outsource rescue and ambulance services.

Not exactly, said Board President Fred Gralinksi in an interview.

"We simply want clarification," he said, noting that while the union and Pfeiffer negotiated new CBAs, they were never approved by the courts before bankruptcy ended and have not been approved by the board.

In the meantime, Gralinski said, firefighters have been getting paid and the district has been paying its bills. He noted the acquisition of a new rescue and a second lightly-used rescue coming to the district in the near-future.

According to the board's court filing, the board was left with two CBAs "that were not negotiated by them" and the financial obligations created them were "not approved by the voters of CCFD."

The board's argument relies on the district's "taxpayers" being considered a valid party in the case, which the union's legal team argues is impossible.

It is the board that sets the tax rate, approves or rejects collective bargaining agreements and otherwise has standing, the union contends.

"In short, it asks for a declaration that if the CBAs are found to be valid, and if the taxpayers believe it would be in the District’s best interest to terminate qualified firefighters and emergency medical technicians, discontinue professional fire prevention services and utilize a for-profit ambulance company to provide medical services to the residents, it could violate the CBA without repercussions," the union argued in its response to the motion for declaratory judgement filed by the CCFD board.

Firefighters say that it's not as if the contracts are overly generous, either. In fact, they say, it is considered one of the leanest in the state and came at a time when the cash-strapped district was facing possible liquidation because of money problems.

"However, we agreed to the terms of that contract because we knew where we were headed, Bankruptcy, and it wasn’t good. We also recognized that the new agreement would bring an end to the very long battle and would provide peace for five years. Not only to the firefighters and EMT’s, but to the community as well, and God knows we need that," said David J. Gorman, president of the Local 3372.

Gralinksi insisted that the legal questions surrounding the district are the result of a murky transition period post-bankruptcy. He said that the day-to-day emphasis is on making sure residents have adequate fire and rescue service.

Meanwhile the fire board is engaged in a separate legal fight with Centreville Bank over a bank account that contained about $1 million. (details to be added).

This story may be updated.

BOTH LEGAL FILINGS ARE BELOW: