City of Houston sends layoff notices to 66 fire cadets

IN YEARS THAT GROUP, THE DAY THEY FILED GRIEVANCES AGAINST THE MAYOR FOR HIS REFUSAL TO SWEAR THEM IN AS FULL-TIME HOUSTON FIREFIGHTERS. TODAY'S NOTICE TO THE LAY THEM OFF IN 60 DAYS IS NOT A SURPRISE, BUT CERTAINLY NOT WELCOME AND IT COULD BE THE FIRST OF MANY MORE LAYOFFS. FOR MONTHS, THESE TRAINED BUT UNSWORN FIREFIGHTERS STUCK IT OUT AT THE ACADEMY AFTER COMPLETING EVERYTHING THE CITY OF HOUSTON ASKED THEM TO DO, THE CITY DECIDED IN THE FACE OF PROPOSITION B, THERE WASN'T ENOUGH MONEY TO PAY THEM AS FIREFIGHTERS. JOEL WAS ONE OF THOSE CADETS, HE HAD ENOUGH AND QUIT MONTHS AGO. IN DO THEY UNDERSTAND WHY THERE JUST SITTING AROUND DIGGING DITCHES? >> NOT AT ALL. JUST THE MAYOR'S VINDICTIVENESS. >> Reporter: WE SHOWED YOU THE WORK THOSE CADETS WERE DOING, SOMETIMES DIGGING HOLES, OTHER HOURS SPENT POURING CONCRETE AT THE ACADEMY. MONTHS AGO THE FIRE CHIEF TOLD US IT SIMPLY WAS NOT A GOOD USE FOR THESE CADETS. >> THE MOST EFFICIENT USE OF THESE RESOURCES IS OUT IN THE FIELD PROTECTING THE COMMUNITY. IN TODAY IT IS PENNY'S NAME ON THE MEMO LETTING ALL 66 OF THE CADETS GO EFFECTIVE JUNE 7, BLAMING IT ACCORDING TO THE LETTER ON A SIZABLE BUT IT BUDGET SHORTFALL DUE TO THE IMPLEMENTATION OF PROPOSITION B. THE FIREFIGHTERS UNION PUTS THE BLAME SQUARELY ON PENNY'S BOSS, HOUSTON MAYOR SYLVESTER TURNER PERIODS >> Reporter: IT IS CLEAR THAT HIS EGO AND HIS VINDICTIVENESS HAVE HIT AN ALL NEW SHOULD BE CONCERNING AN ALARMING FOR ALL CITIZENS. >> Reporter: THE FIREFIGHTERS UNION STILL SUGGEST THERE IS TIME FOR A DEAL THAT COULD AVOID 380 MORE LAYOFFS OF SWORN FIREFIGHTERS. THOSE LAYOFF NOTICES WHICH WOULD NEED CITY COUNCIL APPROVAL MAY BE SENT LATER THIS MONTH >> WE NEED TO TRY TO SAVE THESE PEOPLE. IT IS A SAD DAY IN THE CITY WHEN PEOPLE ARE LOSING THEIR JOBS DUE TO NO FAULT OF THEIR OWN.>> Reporter: BILL KING CALLED THE LAYOFFS PURE VINDICTIVENESS, AND A STUPID WASTE OF THE $3 MILLION HOUSTON SPENT ON CADET TRAINING. KING SENT TODAY REMINDING US THAT THE CITY OF HOUSTON HAS HIRED 269 PEOPLE SINCE A POSTELECTION HIRING FREEZE WAS ANNOUNCED INCLUDING TWO NEW HIRES IN THE MAYOR'S COMMUNICATIONS OFFICE. INTERESTINGLY, NONE OF THE STAFFERS THERE HAVE WORDS ON THE LAYOFFS. THE MAYOR'S OFFICE SAYING THAT COULD COME LATER. MERRILL CANDIDATE TONY BUSBY WEIGHING AND SAYING HOW ABOUT CUTTING HIS, MAYOR TURNER'S LOADED CITY STAFF REDUCING THE NUMBER OF LAWYERS IN

Channel: ABC13 Houston

Views: 1,683

Keywords: abc13, abc13 houston, firefighters, fire fighter layoffs, hfd layoffs, fire cade layoffs, mayor turner, houston mayor, lays off firefighters, prop b, proposition b, houston prop b, houston fire academy, houston news, houston fire fighters, houston firefighter layoffs, news, firefighter news, city of houston

Id: 1G6exL_G7DU

Length: 2min 44sec (164 seconds)

Published: Fri Apr 05 2019