By Eileen Buckley
Buffalo, NY – Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown stands by the contract he negoiated with city fire fighters.
Brown made his comments one day after Buffalo firefighters overwhelmingly rejected a new contract deal.
Mayor Brown says he believes the city negoiated a good deal that offered firefighters a chance to lift the wage freeze. They haven't had a pay raise in five years.
But union leaders have accused the control board of interfering. And firefighters who rejected the deal say there were too many givebacks. Fire fighters say in exchange for the pay hike, health care benefits, retirement and personal time off would have been changed.
But Brown says the proposed contract was signed by the fire union leader. Brown also denies that the control board interfered with the city's negotiations with the union. Union president Joe Foley says he signed off on the contract because he believes it was the best deal firefighters will receive with the control board in place. Foley says he is open to further negotiations. But Mayor Brown is ready to move on and begin bargaining with another city union.
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