Kentucky city comes to a crossroads in firefighter overtime debate
The question of whether Kentucky cities must pay several years' worth of overtime employee attendance back wages is yet to be resolved, the Commonwealth Journal reports.
Officials from Somerset have a month to decide whether they want to continue litigation amid rising legal costs.
The debate began in 2007, when the Kentucky Supreme Court ruled that the city of Louisville had to pay firefighters overtime on an annual training supplement. Following the decision, the Department of Labor began enforcing the rule statewide, prompting a challenge from several cities, including Somerset.
"We've been fighting for a couple years now," Carrie Wiese, attorney for the city, said at a recent council meeting, as quoted by the news source. She noted that legal fees will soon exceed the amount the city will be forced to pay firefighters if it loses the time and attendance case.
Elsewhere in the country, firefighters employed by the St. Paul, Minneapolis, Fire Department are facing overtime troubles of their own. In order to cut $1 million from its budget, the department proposed the elimination of all overtime payouts, KSTP-TV reports.
Officials from Somerset have a month to decide whether they want to continue litigation amid rising legal costs.
The debate began in 2007, when the Kentucky Supreme Court ruled that the city of Louisville had to pay firefighters overtime on an annual training supplement. Following the decision, the Department of Labor began enforcing the rule statewide, prompting a challenge from several cities, including Somerset.
"We've been fighting for a couple years now," Carrie Wiese, attorney for the city, said at a recent council meeting, as quoted by the news source. She noted that legal fees will soon exceed the amount the city will be forced to pay firefighters if it loses the time and attendance case.
Elsewhere in the country, firefighters employed by the St. Paul, Minneapolis, Fire Department are facing overtime troubles of their own. In order to cut $1 million from its budget, the department proposed the elimination of all overtime payouts, KSTP-TV reports.
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