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Rob, I agree that a pencil and paper system for any department is dated. However, that's not an issue for individual FF's to decide. That is up to the administration side to implement. Blaming the workers for their time clock system is silly. As far as the GPS in vehicles it seems we're getting 2 different answers. You say it's not in WFD vehicles, others say it is.

As far as the sick time issue I don't dispute it is possible for abuses to take place and I'm sure they have. The issue I took with your statement is you are criticizing those that abuse sick time (rightfully so) at the same time you are criticizing those who cash sick time out at the time of retirement (in other words, those that don't abuse the sick time system). Either way it doesn't seem you'll be happy. If less firefighters call out, that is more sick time being left on the books and you clearly have a problem with them cashing that time out at retirement. However, if more firefighters use their sick time during employment you will argue they are abusing it and OT costs are through the roof. Which one is it? Are you saying there should be no benefit to those who show up to work everyday and are never out sick? That seems unreasonable and unrealistic to me. If your argument is they shouldn't be cashing time out for .75 cents or more on the dollar, that's a different argument. I just don't think it's fair if we complain they're out sick AND complain when they have sick time left on the books. Stripping away that benefit enitrely would seem to be a non starter. You brought up the private sector, in many cases in the private sector if an employee will knowingly lose unused sick days at the end of the year, do you know what that employee ends up doing? They use the sick time they're about to lose consecutively in a larger chunk.

Let's just say that same "private sector" policy you covet was enacted in Warwick (won't happen), where the city says ANY unused sick time will be lost at the end of the year, what do you think that would do to OT costs? What do you think that would do to the employee attendence rate city wide?

Some of these suggestions sound great as talking points but realistically they will NOT solve the problem unless there's a willingness to negotiate on both sides. That will be easier said than done. Whether you send me the #'s or not Rob it doesn't change the fact that 100% of the changes you seek will have to be negotiated at the bargaining table. Don't shoot the messanger, I'm trying to be a realest.