Just a week before a deployment plan goes into effect, the eight soon-to-be demoted captains have been told what their roles will be with the city’s fire department.
Daniel Daugherty, president of the Watertown Professional Fire Fighters Association Local 191, confirmed that the captains will be renamed as “unit leaders” but will basically handle the same responsibilities they do now while on calls.
And they won’t be paid as much.
“We’re not really happy,” Mr. Daugherty said.
Firefighters were told about how the demotions would affect them in shift meetings during the past week. The demotions go into effect on July 1.
The union filed a grievance with the city about the demotions, but it was denied, Mr. Daugherty said. He predicted the union would file for arbitration about the situation. The bargaining unit already filed for arbitration proceedings on its two-year contract dispute with the city.
“Unit leaders” — a description spelled out in the National Incident Management System that the fire department has used since 2006 — have similar job responsibilities as captains, Chief Dale C. Herman said.