SUMMARY OF CONTRACT DISPUTE

Following the collapse of the Industrial Revolution, countless American cities were left to waste away. The mills closed down, businesses moved away, and residents rushed out of the city and into the new suburbs. New highway systems were built enabled city workers to move further away and still commute to work each morning. With each passing year, these cities became more like ghost towns. Crime and corruption went up, while safety and security rapidly decreased. Far too often, these cities were unable to recover and remain a fraction of their old self. Today, people driving through these cities remember them in their glory days; however, they just as quickly forget them as they fade in the rearview mirror.

Providence, Rhode Island, could have been an example of one of these cities. During the Industrial Revolution, it was a thriving city. Many considered it the heart of the East Coast industry. However, as the Industrial Revolution slowed down, so did Providence. The Mills closed, businesses moved away, and residents flocked to the suburbs. Interstate 95 was soon built through the heart of Providence, providing city workers with an easy commute each morning. By all accounts, Providence was following the path of other industrial cities. However, the 1970’s and 1980’s saw a slow change; the city began to clean itself up. Through successful leadership, business endeavors, and community effort, Providence slowly brought itself back. City projects, like moving the rivers or building a basketball arena, provided the city with a spark, a sense of pride. Businesses began to move their companies back into Providence, and residents began to follow. The 1990’s brought a state of the art shopping mall, convention center, and luxury hotel. Providence was nicknamed the Renaissance City, becoming a destination city. By the new millennium, Providence was once again a thriving city.

However, not all aspects of the city were experiencing the same good fortunes. Unionized city workers were finding it increasingly difficult to reach contract agreements with Providence. On June 30, 2001, a three year contract between the city of Providence and the International Association of Firefighters, Local 799, expired. Four and a half years later, the two sides are still attempting to resolve the labor dispute. What began as friendly negotiations has evolved into a bitter dispute where neither side wants to give in to the others demands. Many fear that the damage is done and good relations can not be restored between City Hall and the city firefighters. The negotiations have gone from private discussions to front page news, as the battle for public opinion is underway.

Behind the news headlines, public protests, and strategies from both sides, are intense negotiators working hard to resolve a few key issues. There have been many times when both sides arrived at the table thinking an agreement was just hours away, only to walk away disappointed as the deal fell apart. Each time, the deal was structured around four key issues, health care, pension plans, salary adjustments, and staffing numbers. The goal of this website is to closely examine all four issues in an effort to find the areas of dispute between Local 799 and the City of Providence. The timeline follows the dispute from event by event, beginning with the expiration of the most recent contract and ending with the rejection of the latest contract proposal.