A controversial choice to hike retired firefighters’ insurance premiums according to the Schor administration’s reading of a 2013 collective bargaining agreement, unfunded vacancies that never seem to get filled and the demolition of historic old Eastern High School hang over this year’s mayoral race. City Pulse asked all five candidates about each topic.
IAFF Local 421, the local firefighters’ union that pulled its endorsement for Mayor Andy Schor, said May 24 that premiums increased by over 600%. The new interpretation increases cost-sharing for some retirees from $0 monthly to around $500, and others from $200 to around $900. The Schor administration has argued the hike represents what retirees should have been paying all along.
Schor, who is seeking a third term, defended his choice to hike the firefighters’ premiums, arguing that “several attorneys” support his interpretation of the contract. He said he wants to find a “legal solution” to help the retired firefighters. But for now, he said, he must follow the contract as written…