Workers rehired, watchdog group angry

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI) - One day after the Target 12 Investigators revealed the two Providence city workers caught on camera using city equipment for personal gain are back on the city payroll , the state's largest taxpayer watchdog group is speaking out.

Target 12's "Down the Drain" investigation exposed some workers in the Sewer Division of the Providence Department of Public Works using city equipment to work on a foreman's house and using city trucks to run personal errands- all while on-the-clock.

Now a year later, Target 12 brought the latest developments to Harry Staley, the chairman of The Rhode Island Statewide Coalition . First showing him the original series, then informing him that the two workers at the center of the investigation, originally fired by Providence Mayor David Ciclline, are once again back at work collecting a city paycheck.

Harry Staley: "Well that's astonishing. I didn't know that."

Tim White: "Would this have ever flown in the private sector?"

Harry Staley: "Oh, my heavens no... if something like this happened you would be gone as fast as they found out about it and you would never cross the door again."

But union business manager Donald Iannazzi, for the Local 1033, disagrees. He fought successfully for the men to get their jobs back.

• Watch an extended interview with Donald Iannazzi

"Did the misconduct in and of itself warrant the capital punishment of termination? I think not," Iannazzi said.

And in both cases, an arbitrator agreed - ordering the men back to work after nearly a year without pay.

Mayor David Cicilline, (D) Providence: "We're bound by the arbitrator's decision to take the employees back and they're back. But I hope people understand that the behavior that was described there is something that we will continue to move to fire you if you engage in it, that I won't tolerate, and the public won't tolerate."

Tim White: "But does it send that message, or does it send a message that you can conduct this kind of behavior and still keep your job?"

Mayor David Cicilline, (D) Providence: "Well, unfortunately I think that's what the arbitrator's decision does."

• Watch an extended interview with Mayor Cicilline

Harry Staley agreed.

"The fact is you see that on video, you see what they were doing and there is no question, absolutely no question they were not doing their jobs that should be done. How can the public have faith in an arbitration system?"

Target 12 took that issue up with labor officials.

Tim White: "Are you concerned about public perception here?"

Donald Iannazzi, Local 1033 Laborers Union: "I'm always concerned about public perception. Because we recognize those of us who have chosen public service as our careers, that we work for the public... We and our members in these two specific cases recognize the misconduct it was dealt with and they paid a price."

Target 12 reached out to the two Massachusetts arbitrators who ruled on these cases. One never returned our call. The other declined comment, saying it's up to the city to release information. City lawyers would not provide Target 12 with a copy of the arbitrator's ruling.