ATLANTA (CBS46) – A big fight is brewing between Atlanta’s mayor and the people who protect you when you need them most.
Police and firefighters say they got passed over in the most recent pay increase for city workers.
They’re launching a billboard campaign blasting Mayor Kasim Reed. The sign practically screams at you, saying, “danger enter at your own risk. Mayor Kasim Reed does not care about public safety.”
The police and firefighters union are trying to shame the mayor into giving them raises.
“Most of us work two or three jobs just to pay our bills,” said Stephen Borders, president of the firefighters union. “We didn’t get in to get rich, but we need to be able to take care of our families.”
The mayor says he won’t budge.
“I can’t, on the one hand, award a group of individuals who are suing for $50 million that we may have to pay and then, on the other hand, give them a pay raise the city will have to pay forever,” Reed said.
Mayor Reed said he won’t give out raises because the unions are suing Atlanta, claiming the city wants them to pay too much toward their benefits.
http://www.wtoc.com/story/29763792/police-firefighters-unions-blast-atlanta-mayor-in-billboard