Multiple municipal employees have received letters warning them that the “fix is in” between Ward 5 Councilman Ed Ladouceur and independent candidate Frank Picozzi to take away their health care, according to Ladouceur.

Ladouceur said Tuesday he had heard from at least a “half-dozen” city employees about the letter, and from the envelopes it appears they were mailed from Boston.

In part, the letter, signed by a “very concerned sister of Local 1651” reads, “Picozzi is not our savior. He will do Ladouceur’s bidding and cost us more money and the lost (sic) of health care. The Mayor has never gone after our healthcare.”

The letter includes a copy of a Providence Journal story on Ladouceur’s ordinance that would increase the co-pay on health insurance from 20 to 25 percent and the prescription co-payment from $300 to $2,000 for individuals and from $600 to $4,000 for families. If passed as introduced, Ladouceur’s ordinance would also change the benefit packages of new hirers. New hirers would not qualify for health care upon retirement under the legislation. Ladouceur is also looking to have retirees co-pay for their health coverage on a sliding scale tied to the amounts of their pensions.

“It says,” Ladouceur said of the letter, “that I’m looking to take away their health care and that’s not true.”

According to Ladouceur, only municipal employees living in the city received the letter. He said he would not share his “suspicions” of where the letter originated.

Ladouceur has long sought to initiate “a discussion” of municipal employee and retiree benefits since they are “not sustainable and not affordable.” He called the prescription drug deductible a “Rolls Royce” benefit not offered by other municipalities or by the private sector, and one that the taxpayers shouldn’t be required to pay.

The ordinance backed by City Council President Steve Merolla was discussed at the Oct. 19 council finance committee meeting, but did not come before the full council because Ward 8 Councilman Anthony Sinapi called for a fiscal note.

Ladouceur quested the need for a fiscal note, pointing to a Nov. 25, 2019 memorandum addressed to him and Merolla from Rob Calise of the Benefit Advisory Group. Calise concluded if the city aligned its benefits to those of state employees it would realize a savings of more than $5 million annually.

“That’s a fiscal note,” Ladouceur said of Calise’s report.

Savings of that magnitude, Ladoceur said, would allow for the city to proceed with the repaving of roads without bonding not to mention addressing a number of other issues including repairs to the sewer and water infrastructures.

Ladouceur said the council has refused to address the issue for too long.

As for the letter’s allegation that Picozzi will be “Ladouceur’s puppet” if elected, Lodouceur said he welcomes the opportunity to discuss issues with whoever is in the corner office. He said he looks forward to a relationship where, “we can agree to disagree without consequences.”

A Democrat, Ladouceur endorsed Picozzi for mayor.

Ladouceur said he recognizes municipal employee and retiree benefits are sensitive issues.

“Everybody needs to be treated fairly,” he said.

The ordinance is on the council docket for Nov. 4, the night following the election.

Reached Wednesday afternoon, local president Walter Hartley said he had not heard or seen the letter. He said union members are well aware that Ladouceur has been working on an ordinance since last year. Asked if he thought the councilman was trying to strip employees of their health insurance he said, “That’s not my impression. I don’t think he’d do that to us.”