As far as I can tell, the Herald broke the story first, but today both papers are covering the latest big local government scandal: the disproportionate number of sick days taken by Boston firemen. It’s quite possible that the unions and fireman genuinely thought that the sick days were offered in contract negotiations as extra vacation days, and it’s possible that the city in fact offered them as such. Still, it’s hard not to find the response of the local union galling:
But DiMarino says the union intends to fight Christian’s new policies, arguing the commissioner has no right to set a standard for sick-day abuse.
‘’We didn’t see any violation of the contract,'’ DiMarino said. ‘’According to our contract, we don’t have anything in there as far as what number [of sick days] is abuse.'’
DiMarino acknowledged that it is possible that not all of the firefighters who called in sick over the Fourth of July weekend were ill or had ill family members. But he said they shouldn’t be held to a different standard than people who work in other professions, some of whom also stretch the truth when it comes to sick days.
No, they shouldn’t be held to a different standard than other professions, but they clearly don’t have a clue what other professions (at least those outside of the unionized government sector) are like. 130 firefighters called in sick over Fourth of July weekend. If DiMarino doesn’t realize how that plays to the electorate, he’s tone-deaf, deluded or just convinced of the union’s intractible power.
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