July 15, 2009 : New Words

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>> Rooney: TONIGHT OFTEN
"GREATER BOSTON," INVASION OF
PRIVACY OR NECESSARY CRACKDOWN.
HOW ONE MAYORUSED PRIVATE
SURVEIL AND AND THE SEARCH FOR
SUMMER JOBS AND WHY IT'S BECOME
COMPETITIVE AND WHY CULTURE IS
ADDING EVERY DAY WORDS OUR
LANGUAGE.
>> GOOD EVENING.
A CONTROVERSY HAS ERUPTED IN
HAVERHILL.
FOUR FIREFIGHTERS ARE FACING
SUSPENSION AFTER THE CITY VIDEO
TAPED THE MEN ON DAYS THEY
CALLED OUT SICK AND THE UNION IS
SAYING HE MAYOR USED CITY FUNDS
TO RETALIATE AGAINST
FIREFIGHTERS.
HAVERHILL MAYOR JAMES FIORENTINI
HIRED PRIVATE INVESTIGATE
FIREFIGHTERS
>> IF YOU CAN MOVE AND GO SKIING
IT HAS QUESTIONS IN MY MIND
WHETHER YOU CALLED IN SICK.
>> IT'S VERY PRYING AND
PERSONNEL AND WITH QUITE
SURPRISED.
>> Rooney: CAPTAIN WINEBERG SAID
THE ONES INVESTIGATED WERE THE
ONES WHO CRITICIZED THE MAYOR
CALLING FOR A NEW SICK TIME
POLICY.
>> I FEEL STRONGLY IT'S THE
MAYOR'S WAY TO FORCE US INTO
CONCESSIONS.
>> Rooney: THE MAYOR DENIES THE
CALL AND SAYS FIREFIGHTERS CALL
OFF THREE TIMES AS MUCH AS
POLICE OFFICERS.
>> IT'S GONE DOWN EXCEPT IN THE
FIRE DEPARTMENT.
>> Rooney: THE MAYOR HAS BEEN
CRITICIZED FOR SPENDING $13,000
FOR THE SURVEILLANCE DURING
TOUGH ECONOMIC TIMES.
>> IT'S RIDICULOUS.
>> Rooney: A HEARING WILL BE
HELD TO DETERMINE THE FOUR
FIREFIGHTERS WILL BE SUSPENDED.
ALL RIGHT AND JOINING ME NOW IS
HAVERHILL MAYOR JAMES
FIORENTINI.
WELCOME TO YOU, MR. MAYOR.
>> THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
>> Rooney: I THINK IT'S PROBABLY
SOMETHING MANY MARRIES HAVE
FANTASIZED ABOUT DOING WHAT MADE
THE YOU DO IT.
>> I DID PERSONAL INJURY CASES.
>> Rooney: WERE MANY OF THEM
BOGUS?
>> NO, IF I THOUGHT SO I
WOULDN'T TAKE THE CASE AND IT
WAS COMMON IN PRIVATE INDUSTRY
IF YOU SAY YOUR SICK OR
DISABLED, SOMEBODY MONITORS IT'S
ABOUT PERFORMANCE STANDARDS
AROUND IT'S RIDICULOUS TO THINK
YOU CAN ALLOW PEOPLE TO REGULATE
THEMSELVES AND SOME PEOPLE
AREN'T GO TAKE ADVANTAGE.
PRIVATE INDUSTRY HAS STANDARDS
AND WHAT WE NEED IN GOVERNMENT
AND THAT'S WHAT I DID.
>> Rooney: HOW DID YOU SELECT
WHICH FIREFIGHTERS TO FOLLOW?
>> I DIDN'T.
WE ASKED FOR A LIST FROM ALL THE
DEPARTMENTS OF PEOPLE THAT WE
THOUGHT WERE OUT EXCESSIVELY AND
BROUGHT IN A PRIVATE
INVESTIGATOR FOR A COUPLE WEEKS
AND LOOK AT SOME PEOPLE WITH
EXCESSIVE NUMBERS AND DID ALSO
DID A RANDOM CHECK.
I HAD NO IDEA WHO WAS BEING
CHECKED.
>> Rooney: WERE MOST OF THE GUYS
MOON LIGHTING OR JUST GOOFING
OFF.
>> MOST OF THE GUYS WEREN'T
ABUSING SICK LEAVE SO THAT'S
SOMETHING THE UNION SHOULD LOOK
INTO.
>> Rooney: SOME WERE SICK TWELVE
DAYS A YEAR?
>> FOUR OF THE PEOPLE DID NOT
APPEAR TO BE SICK ON THE VIDEOS.
AT LEAST SO THE REPORT SAYS ONE
WAS MOVING FURNITURE, CLIMBING
UP AND DOWN A LADDER.
ONE WAS GOING TO A HOCKEY GAME
AND JUMPING INTO THE RINK TO DO
SOMETHING.
ONE OF THEM WAS GOING SHOPPING.
THERE'S A QUESTION WHETHER WHAT
HE WAS SHOPPING FOR AND ONE WAS
SHOVELLING AND PLOWING SNOW.
NONE ARE CONSISTENT WITH BEING
SICK.
>> Rooney: HOW MANY DO YOU HAVE?
>> 93, 94
>> Rooney: WHEN THE LAST TIME
YOU HAD A FIRE.
>> THEY'RE LIKE A LIFE INSURANCE
SYSTEM YOU DON'T THINK YOU NEED
IT UNTIL YOU NEED IT.
YOU NEED FIREFIGHTERS.
>> Rooney: DOES EVERY CITY AND
TOWN NEED ONE?
>> IF I HAD MY WAY I'D HAVE
REGIONAL FIREFIGHTERS.
>> Rooney: THAT'S A UNION ISSUE.
>> AT 3:00 IN THE MORNING WHEN
THERE'S NO ACTIVITY DO YOU NEED
TWO POLICEMAN AND FIREMAN
ANSWERING THE TELEPHONE.
IF YOU DO TO CALIFORNIA THERE'S
SIX DISPATCH CENTERS.
DOES EVERY CITY NEED A
TANKER-TRUCK.
>> Rooney: SO IS THE ANSWER.
IT'S ALL ABOUT SAVING JOBS AND
THAT'S WHAT THE ISSUE IS TOO.
THE UNION WANTS TO RETAIN IT'S
IT'S A LIBERAL SICK POLICY.
>> 15 SICK DAYS A YEAR.
>> Rooney: THAT'S THREE WEEKS
WHICH PEOPLE FAKE AS THREE WEEKS
OF VACATION.
>> THAT'S WHAT WE CLAIM THAT
PEOPLE USE -- THE AVERAGE SICK
TIME USE IN THE FIRE DEPARTMENT
WAS THREE TIMES GREATER THAN THE
POLICE DEPARTMENT.
WE WORKED HARD OVER THE LAST
THREE YEARS TO CONTROL SICK
TIME.
IT'S IMPORTANT BECAUSE IN POLICE
AND FIRE EVERY TIME SOMEONE IS
OUT SICK WE NEED TO CALL
SOMEBODY TIME-AND-A-HALF TO
REPLACE THEM AND IT'S A $1.8
MILLION PROBLEM.
IT'S A PROBLEM THAT NEEDS TO BE
CONTROLLED.
IT'S RIDICULOUS TO THINK YOU CAN
CONTROL IT BY TAKING SICK TIME
WHEN THEY NEED IT
>> Rooney: WHAT'S THE PUBLIC
REACTION?
DO THEY SUPPORT YOU.
100% OF THE PEOPLE CONTACTING ME
HAVE BEEN SUPPORTIVE.
>> Rooney: WHAT ABOUT THE CITY
COUNCILMAN?
>> HE DIDN'T CONTACT ME.
HE SAID IN THE NEWSPAPER HE
THOUGHT IT WAS A GOOD THING AND
SUPPORTED ME AND HE GETS A LOT
OF POLITICAL SUPPORT FROM THE
UNION AND THE UNION CALLED HIM
AND HE...
>> Rooney: CHANGED HIS MIND?
>> CHANGED HIS MIND BUT IN THE
NEWSPAPER HE SAID IT WAS THE
RIGHT THING TO DO AND IT WAS.
>> Rooney: YOU TOLD ME BEFORE WE
STARTED TO WAS THE UNION THAT
MADE IT PUBLIC.
>> THEY DID.
WE LOOKED INTO OTHER DEPARTMENTS
BEFORE AND WE CALL THE EMPLOYEES
AND SAY WE HAVE A PROBLEM AND
WE'RE GOING TO SUSPEND YOU HAD
AND DON'T EXPECT IT WILL HAPPEN
AGAIN AND IF WE DO WE'LL
TERMINATE YOU AND THE UNION WENT
PUBLIC WITH IT.
>> Rooney: ARE THE FIREFIGHTERS
BACK?
>> NO, THE SUSPENSION STARTS IN
SEPTEMBER AND THEY HAVE THE
RIGHT TO A HEARING AND IF
THEY'VE DONE NOTHING WRONG THEY
WON'T BE SUSPENDED.
WE'LL APOINT AN INDEPENDENT
HEARING.
>> Rooney: IS THIS A-TIME ONLILY
OR DONE IT OTHER TIMES.
>> WE'VE DONE IT WITH OTHER
DEPARTMENTS IN THE PAST.
ONE TIME PREVIOUSLY WE FOLLOWED
ONE PARTICULAR FIREFIGHTER AND I
DON'T WANT TO GET INTO TOO MUCH
DETAIL ON THAT AND WE LOOKED
INTO OTHER DEPARTMENTS IN THE
PAST.
>> Rooney: YOU'RE SAYING THIS IS
SOMETHING THAT OTHER CITIES AND
SOUND INCLUDING YOU SAY BOSTON
MAY HAVE DONE.
>> THE INVESTIGATOR WHO CAME TO
US AND LOOKED INTO OTHER
DEPARTMENTS FOR US SAID HE
WORKED IN OTHER CITIES AND DONE
THIS ROUTINELY IN OTHER CITIES.
WHAT DO THE FIREFIGHTERS SAY
WHEN CONFRONTED WITH THE VIDEO
AND EVIDENCE.
>> WE TOLD THEM WE DIDN'T WANT
TO SURPRISE THEM THIS HAD BEEN
DONE AND WE'D BE COMPILING THE
EVIDENCE.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE
FIREFIGHTERS THEMSELVES SAID THE
UNION SAID THEY'D GO PUBLIC AND
FIGHT THIS.
>> Rooney: WHY DO YOU SUPPOSE IT
IS ALL THEt( FIREFIGHTER
DEPARTMENTS ARE LOSING IN THE
PUBLIC OPINION.
THESE ARE PEOPLE REVERED BECAUSE
THEY DO -- IT'S AN EXTREMELY
RISKY AND DANGEROUS JOB AND LOTS
OF PEOPLE ADMIRE THEM FOR DOING
THAT BUT ON THE OTHER HAND, ALL
THE OTHER THINGS HAVE CROPPED UP
AND THAT --
>> WHAT THE UNION SHOULD BE
SAYING AND I'LL BE SAYING FOR
THEM IS THE PEOPLE ARE THE
MINORITY AND THEY DON'T
REPRESENT THE MAJORITY OF THEM
WE SO ONLY A FEW PEOPLE WE
LOOKED AT THAT WE THOUGHT MAY
AND BUZZING SICK TIME.
THE MAJORITY OF OUR FIREFIGHTERS
ARE GOOD HONEST HARD WORKING
PEOPLE WHO DON'T ABUSE ANYTHING
AND WE'RE VERY PROUD OF THEM.
THEY DO A WONDERFUL JOB.
>> Rooney: WHAT OTHER
DEPARTMENTS HAVE YOU HAD
DIFFICULTIES WITH.
>> WE ARE PEOPLE FIRED IN THE
HIGHWAY DEPARTMENT.
THERE WAS A BIG SCANDAL ABOUT
THAT AND WE LOOKED IN THE
COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT OFFICE AND
ONE PERSON WAS TERMINATED AND
THE POLICE CHIEF LOOKED INTO
SOMEONE THERE AND DECIDED THINGS
WERE OKAY.
>> YOU GOT TO WONDER IF THE
PUBLIC SECTOR DOES THIS TOO.
I MEAN THE PRIVATE SECTOR.
>> ALL THE TIME.
>> Rooney: IT'S NOT SOMETHING
THEY'D PUT OUT AND NOTIFY.
>> INSURANCE COMPANIES DO THIS
ALL THE TIME.
I WAS A WORKERS' COMP.
ATTORNEY AND I TOLD MY CLIENTS
YOU'LL BE WATCHED IT'S VERY
ROUTINE.
>> Rooney: AND THEY DID IT
ANYWAY.
>> MOST OF THEM DIDN'T DO
ANYTHING PITCH WOULD TELL THEM
YOU WOULD BE WATCHED AND IT
CONTROLS BEHAVIOR.
THAT'S WHAT YOU WANT.
YOU WANT TO GET THE WORLD OUT.
>> Rooney: THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR
COMING.
APPRECIATE IT.
>> THANK YOU.