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The Sports Network
St. Louis (KSDK) - Thirty St. Louis firefighters are being laid-off. In addition, another 24 positions are being cut through attrition. The layoffs will be based on seniority.
The cuts have been talked about for months, while the city of St. Louis and the firefighters' union, Local 73, have tried to reach a new labor agreement.
At the center of the feud, is the rising pension costs. The city says the fire department's pension fund is around $24 million, over one-third of the department's total budget, and it simply cannot afford the rising costs.
Both sides are blaming the other for not reaching an agreement. The mayor's office claims no other city department is seeing the amount of pension increases that the fire department has. And, it claims the union is not willing to meet city officials "half-way" to reach an agreement.
A representative with Local 73, says the mayor's office is lying to the public and that firefighters have worked in "good faith" trying to cut pension costs.
They propose changing disability benefits, using federal grants and changing pension packages for future employees.
All options the city says won't work.
While the Mayor's Chief of staff met with reporters to discuss the layoffs, Mayor Slay himself, nor Fire Chief Dennis Jenkerson are commenting on the issue.
KSDK