Board of Aldermen 09-09-2020 Page 25
Alderman Dowd
Also, they are not part of the City’s Health Plan — is that correct or am | wrong.
Deputy Chief Testaverde
You are absolutely right, so that’s an excellent part. We have really worked hard to help the City through
the health crisis that we are as insurance. We have gotten numerous employees to switch to the high
savings / high deductible plan. This particular group is carved out from that, so it’s not that they are not
willing to help out, it just doesn’t apply to them whatsoever. Thank you, sir.
President Wilshire
Thank you Deputy. Anyone else, Alderman Lopez.
Alderman Lopez
Yeah | just wanted to qualify my statement that | am not again trying to pitch Fire against Police because
for some reason | keep stepping on that. But it’s because there are multiple Union Contracts that are
coming forward over the next couple of months that we are going to have to look at. So | just thought it
was important because | did catch the Budget Review Committee where this was being discussed and |
heard the explanation; | am satisfied and | plan on supporting it. | just want to make sure that that’s part of
the Public Meeting that we do a quick summary because of how contentious that specific need is. Although
| will say for the record, $40,000.00 seems like a lot to me, but whatever.
Alderman Clemons
Thank you. | just wanted to say just in regards to what Alderman Lopez just said, that when | look at
Collective Bargaining Agreement, | look at it by itself and | vet each one on the merits of each individual
contract. So | personally don’t like to compare one to the other because | believe that’s an unfair thing to
do. So for myself, you know, | am supporting this contract because these folks deserve the raise. They are
hardworking people. The Police Department couldn’t run without them and | think they deserve this raise
and | am happy to vote for this contract.
Alderman Klee
Thank you very much Madam President. | just want to make a comment. | know that it was commented
about that these particular individuals deal with COVID and various other types of things. | just want to
make it very clear that so do our Fire Fighters, as do all of our Police Officers and all of our first line workers
and so on. | just want to get that out there that we are not taking and saying that these particular
individuals are the only ones that are doing that and | do each Alderman Clemons’ comment relative to the
fact that we need to look at each one individually. | supported the Firemen’s Contract. My first gut reaction
was | didn’t want to put this one before the other, but | don’t want to hold anybody else up either, so | will be
supporting this.
Alderwoman Lu
Can you hear me?
President Wilshire
Yes, we can.
