FLINT, Michigan — Flint Mayor Dayne Walling said today that no firefighters would be laid off if the firefighters union approves its proposed concessions package.
Walling told The Flint Journal that there wouldn't be a need for the layoffs, since the proposal on the table would close the fire department's projected budget gap.
Walling said layoff notices won't be issued to firefighters before their scheduled Nov. 29 vote on the approximately 10-percent concessions proposal.
He added that those layoff notices wouldn't be issued if the proposal is approved.
"Under our current revenue projections there will not be a need for fire department layoffs if a double-digit concession is approved," Walling said.
But he added that he couldn't guarantee there wouldn't be layoffs in future budget years.
"I will never be able to guarantee any specific staffing level long term given the uncertainty of revenues year by year," he said.
But Garcia said Monday that no firefighter layoffs should go out at all because of a federal grant that requires the city to maintain its current firefighters staffing level. He said if the city lays off any firefighters, the city would lose the entire grant.
Walling has said he would ask the federal government for a waiver that would allow the city to lay off firefighters before any layoff notices are issued.
Garcia said he does not think such a waiver would be authorized. He said he spoke with someone in U.S. Rep. Dale Kildee's office who confirmed that the rules of the grant say that the city would lose the funds if firefighters were laid off.
Walling said employee layoff notices will be going out as the city works on eliminating a projected $5 million deficit.
Walling had asked each of the city's six bargaining units to come up with some form of a double-digit concessions package before Nov. 19.
Since no agreements were reached by the deadline, Walling said the city would be looking at issuing as many as 50 layoff notices, mostly to public safety departments.
The firefighters union has been the only one to work with the city on a tentative concessions agreement so far, Walling said.
Walling said negotiations with the city's two AFSCME unions, Local 1600 and Local 1799 are progressing.
Walling also said discussions about concessions are occurring simultaneously with the three police department unions, even as they continue through the arbitrations process.
Walling said layoff notices to the police department or other departments can be expected "soon" since concessions haven't been reached.
"We will continue to engage our unions and I am remaining hopeful that we will be able to reach an agreement with one, if not all, of our unions before any layoffs take effect," he said.