
Yonkers Firefighters Memorial
As a firefighter for the City of Yonkers, I feel a need to set the record straight. There has been a lot of talk in the press and from political hopefuls about payroll abuse of
civil service workers, and “
pension padding”. Sensational headlines like to point out civil service personnel, particularly emergency service workers, earning high salaries. If a firefighter or
police officer earns well above their base salaries, you can be sure of one thing – he or she worked their rear end off doing it. No one is being paid any money that they are not earning. Overtime is necessary because there are not enough regularly scheduled members to do the work that needs to be done to keep the public safe. How overtime is dispersed among members of the
department is of no cost to the City. When overtime must be worked, it is of no financial consequence when some members work more overtime than others. Whether all overtime is worked by one individual, or it is spread out among the entire department, the net cost to the city remains the same. Most often, those members who are pointed out as being paid high salaries are willing to work whenever they are needed, and do whatever work needs to be done. They spend countless hours away from their families, working graveyard shifts on holidays, or taking traffic details that no one else wants, just to try and make a better life. Their reward for such diligence is being vilified in the press and by politicians for abusing the system.