San Jose Approves New Contract With Firefighters
SAN FRANCISCO (KCBS) _ There were fireworks at San Jose City Hall Tuesday over a new contract with firefighters. Ultimately the tentative contract was approved over the objections of two council members.
KCBS' Mike Colgan Reports:
Even though firefighters agreed to the city's demand for a 10 percent wage and benefit concession, Councilman Sam Liccardo urged his colleagues to reject the deal because it didn't go far enough.
"We're facing a budget deficit of $105 million, and in the next week or two we're going to learn that that number is growing beyond $120 million," said Liccardo. "We're voting on a solution now which is a non-solution."
However, San Jose Mayor Chuck Reed said that reneging on the deal would have been the wrong thing to do.
"We've been negotiating with the firefighters for months and we're down at the end of the road and I think it's too late to change directions on a contract that's been negotiated," said Reed. "There are still many open items, opportunities to save money, in continued negotiations. This is an important step, and we should take it."
The council also unanimously passed the mayor's budget message.
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