Pension cuts on table to balance budget

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI) - Thousands of local firefighters and police officers face cuts to their pensions. The changes are on the table as lawmakers search for ways to blot the red ink in the current budget.

There are no predictions how much the changes would save, if they're approved. The house finance was told a higher retirement age alone could save about four and a half million dollars. Retirement age would be pushed up by a year and disability allowances would get pushed back.

Those and other proposals left not a single seat in the latest finance committee hearing. The firefighters' association went after the governor calling the budget plan mean spirited.

Frank Montanaro, from the RI Association of Firefighters says, "His objective is to take away the unions' right to collective bargaining. He doesn't want them to be organized."

Firefighters argue severance pay from what they say would be a mass exodus of firefighters would cost communities more than the cuts would save.

Paul Doughty from the Providence Firefighter Union says, "There talking about co pays when you retire. No healthcare until you reach 55."

One alternative according to union members is to tax, the exempt properties like Brown University, Providence College and Johnson and Wales. A long list of potential cuts is on the agenda for Thursday including fire and police minimum staffing requirements and healthcare benefits for teachers.