Wilkes-Barre city will lay off 11 firefighters effective this Saturday, the president of the Wilkes-Barre Firefighters Association said today.
"It feels like I got hit by a truck," said President Mike Bilski.
Bilski met today with Mayor Tom Leighton, who informed Bilski of the city's decision. Bilski said he notified all of his union members.
Leighton has warned of layoffs since October when he asked the city's nearly 290 employees for voluntary furloughs and retirements. City officials previously said the effort did not generate enough savings to prevent the layoffs. Wilkes-Barre is struggling with an estimated $2 million budget deficit due to an outstanding payment from former county collector Centax and a decline in revenue.
Bilski said he had hoped the four firefighters who retired would minimize the need for layoffs.
"Eleven is surprising," Bilski said. "We thought it was a smaller number, like four or five."
Bilski said Leighton told him no Department of Public Works employees would be laid off. City officials have not released any information and could not be immediately reached for comment.
Bilski said the layoffs will reduce the fire department to 53, which he said puts the department at a bare minimum. He said Leighton told him there was a possibility that some of the laid off workers could return to work sometime next year, but did not say when or how many.
Representatives from the city's three other unions could not be reached for comment.