Feb 28, 2008 8:25 pm US/Eastern
Firefighters Dub Stoughton Most Unpatriotic Town
STOUGHTON, Mass. (WBZ) ―
A local firefighter is serving in Iraq and his brother firefighters say he's being shortchanged by his town and a battle over pay has ensued.
Doug Campbell is an 18-year veteran with the Stoughton Fire Department and a member of the Air National Guard for 20 years. But while he is away fighting for his country, his fellow union members say his service to his town and his country is going unrewarded.
The Stoughton Firefighters Union dubs the town as the most unpatriotic in America.
"It's not about the union. It's not about the town. It's not about me," said Stoughton fire Chief David Jardin. "It's about Doug and his family and providing the best that we can for Doug while he's away."
When Campbell was deployed to Iraq last month, the town offered to pay his benefits package. But it excluded things like paid vacation and sick time.
"It's the town's position that paying the salary and the medical benefits is the fair thing to do, (and) that some of the additional benefits, like clothing allowances, and other benefits that the firefighters get are not really appropriate," said town manager Mark Stankiewicz.
But the union insists that everything stay the same.
"He's taken away from his family. He's taken away from his community," Jardin said. "I think there can be an agreement between both parties."
Federal law does not require employers to pay their employees while on military leave.
But it does require employers to guarantee our service men and women will have their jobs waiting for them when they return home.
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