LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Several union leaders say they will not give up certain benefits to save metro government overtime.
They are willing to talk with Mayor Fischer next week, as he looks for ways to reduce the 23 million spent on overtime each year.
Mayor Greg Fischer wants police, firefighters, EMS and other city union workers to give up overtime pay during weeks they claim sick time or vacation time.
He said Tuesday that could trim overtime costs 30 percent as the city faces budget deficits in the next two years.
Fischer's asking for changes in union contracts now, rather than waiting for new ones.
"We don't have that amount of time. If we could negotiate some universal contract language with our unions, that would obviously be the simplest, most effective way to do it for all of our citizens," Fischer said.
Todd Thomason with Teamsters Local 783 says he'll join other union leaders in meeting with Fischer next week to talk about cutting overtime costs -- and the reasons for all that OT in the first place.
"They can point fingers all they want and say you know, it's sick leave, it's vacation, whatever it is. It comes down to, we don't have enough employees," Thomason said.
"I'm willing to work with the mayor to do anything they can to cut costs. But I'm not willing to do anything that's going to cost any of our members their benefits or their rights."
Thomason also questions the timing on behalf of his members, especially when EMS workers have been without a new contract for more than a year-and-a-half.
MetroSafe operators and police officers are also working under expired contracts.
Leaders of the FOP and firefighters' union gave similar responses on Wednesday.
EMS workers hope to speed up their contract talks.
They'll picket metro council Thursday night.
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