Labor In The News: DC Firefighters Warn That New Schedule Threatens Safety

(Metropolitan Washington Council, AFL-CIO)“D.C. Fire Chief Kenneth Ellerbe is pushing to impose a work schedule that would dramatically increase work hours and decrease recovery periods for firefighters” wrote Ed Smith, President of Fire Fighters Local 36, in response to a Washington Post article praising Ellerbe’s new schedule proposal. “Such a regimen will inevitably lead to sleep-deprived firefighters who are less able to perform their jobs,” wrote Smith in the Dec 30 Post. While Ellerbe claims the new schedule would save the city money, Local 36 found that the schedule “would actually cost the city between $16 million and $45 million the first year, depending on how it is implemented” Click here to read the full article. In addition to this struggle, DC firefighters are also in debates with Ellerbe about his decision to change their logo and thereby force firefighters to spend hundreds of dollars to purchase new uniforms. Smith asked that the cost of new uniforms be paid for by the department, or that the uniforms be replaced on an as-needed basis for new clothing items, but Ellerbe refused and continues to demand that firefighters pay up. - photo courtesy of Local 36