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Firefighter vote no confidence in chief |
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Wednesday, 10 June 2009 |
PAWTUCKET — By a significant margin, the city's firefighters voted “no confidence” in Fire Chief Timothy McLaughlin on Monday night. The vote came just hours after the city administration terminated a longtime assistant fire chief for allegedly spending time at home during his working hours on numerous occasions.
On Monday afternoon, city officials fired Richard Renzi, a 36-year veteran of the Pawtucket Fire Department who had been serving as assistant chief for the past 15 years. Later that night, union members cast ballots where the vote was 111 for “no confidence” to 27 for “confidence”. There were 142 eligible members and four chose not to participate, according to Fire Capt. Robert K. Neill Jr., president of Pawtucket Firefighters Local 4421.
City Solicitor Margaret Lynch-Gadaleta confirmed that after a pre-termination hearing, the discipline given to Renzi was termination. She said, however, that she could not discuss any details surrounding the grounds for the decision, saying that a police investigation is still pending.
According to several sources and Renzi himself, city officials had conducted an investigation that had partly involved placing a GPS tracking device in Renzi's municipally-issued vehicle. The device allegedly showed Renzi's vehicle at his house for extended periods of time when he was supposed to be on the clock.
Renzi has denied the allegations, saying that he sometimes used his own vehicle for work purposes, leaving the city vehicle parked at his house. He also said that he frequently goes home to eat lunch, which accounts for some of the time that was recorded during his shift. Renzi noted that while his contract requires him to work from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday, he said he is also required to be “on call” around the clock for an emergency, which can impact his work schedule.
Renzi further alleges that the termination is the result of an ongoing clash that he has had with McLaughlin since the chief was appointed by the Doyle administration five years ago. He said he has been largely stripped of many of the duties that go with the assistance chief's job, even though he has held the position for over a decade.
He also said that the chief and his brother, Battalion Chief John McLaughlin, have both engaged in behavior that he considers to be hostile, vengeful and threatening.
In s statement given to the TIMES, Renzi wrote: “The true and substantiated reasons for my termination are as follows: I have an ongoing legal action against the city for relentless harassments from the Chief, and also for his continual mismanagement of the department which directly affects the safety of firefighters and the community. All of my attempts to achieve any remedy for these serious problems over the past years have been continually ignored and suppressed by the city. Those who speak out, get shut out.”
Renzi, who supported mayoral candidate Donald Grebien over incumbent mayor Doyle in the last city election, also stated, “I am sure that my open political affiliation was a major consideration in their decision to take that drastic, unreasonable measure to terminate.”
Neill said that the firefighters' union is opposed to Renzi's termination and will be filing for arbitration on his behalf. He said he didn't want to get into details over what the union's position will be in defending Renzi, saying that this issue “needs to be argued in arbitration.”
However, Neill did say that a key point of the defense is that Renzi, in his role as assistant chief, is required to be on notice 24 hours a day and seven days a week in case of an emergency. He also said the union is aware of Renzi's previous complaints about being harassed and demeaned by the chief, which, he said, have never resulted in any corrective action or response from the Doyle administration.
Neill said that other union members are also dissatisfied with some issues pertaining to McLaughlin's treatment of them and his management style. He said that while Renzi's termination was “the catalyst” for the no confidence vote, he said the rank and file “had concerns prior to that time. We're hoping they (the Doyle administration) take this as a sign that there are problems in management,” stated Neill.
In a press release on the vote, it was stated that the union members believe “Failure of a Chief to participate full in the labor relations process and to recognize and communicate the need for an open, harmonious relationship with the union is disrespectful and non-productive.”
The press release also states that the union members want a chief “committed to maintaining a sense of fairness” and who “avoids playing favorites, recognizes the chain of command, does not rule by intimidation, gives people the freedom they need to do their jobs, and is open to hearing different opinions,” among other things.
Of the no-confidence vote, McLaughlin said, “It is what it is. The union supports their member. But this was a discipline issue. We had to make a decision and they did what they needed to do.”
When asked about the allegations of other issues besides Renzi's dismissal that have lead to dissatisfaction within his department, Mclaughlin said, “They would have to explain these other issues. I have to make tough decisions every day that aren't always popular with people.” He added that there are “no outstanding grievances.”
McLaughlin said that in Renzi's case, “We found abuse, and the mayor took it head-on. At the end of the day, I will wear that as a badge of honor to the taxpayers.”
McLaughlin added, “I will live with my record as chief.” He maintained that when he took on the role five years ago, the department was “in deplorable condition.” He said that under his watch, he has ramped up the communications technology, obtained new equipment and improved safety.
McLaughlin said that the union president, who also supported Grebien in the last election, is “personally and politically motivated” to try to undermine his leadership.
He added that he is not really sure what merit the no confidence vote really has, saying, “The only person who really needs to have confidence in me is the mayor.”
In the wake of the vote, Mayor James E. Doyle told the TIMES that he still has “every confidence” in McLaughlin to run the fire department. “I have not seen anything from the union regarding Chief McLaughlin's ability to run the department. If someone can show me evidence that he is not doing his duties, I will take a look at that scenario.”
Doyle said it is “common knowledge” that there have been personality conflicts between Renzi and McLaughlin. However, he said that Renzi's termination was based on evidence that he had been allegedly taking as much as three to four hours a day “to do whatever” during his contracted eight-hour workday on numerous occasions while collecting his $1,300 a week, full-time pay. “That's dishonest. He is taking taxpayer money without working,” stated Doyle.
Doyle added, “If the union wants to come out and condone this, that's fine. But it doesn't change my opinion in the chief that I appointed.”
Doyle also said he is “disappointed” in the union leadership, and noted that Neill supported his opponent, Grebien, in the last election. “This plays into it, to a degree,” he said.
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Last Updated ( Friday, 12 June 2009 )
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