To the Editor:
Should the Union also help the firefighters by reducing their membership dues by a percentage that maintains The Villages firefighters union dues at the same dollar amount as today before any raise? According to the union, The Villages must be hiring only inexperienced people who need training and will accept low pay. This training must be costing The Villages a lot of money as well as requiring more overall personnel, so will any manpower cost increase result in reduced training costs to The Villages? The Villages should be able to attract mid-level people who would need much less training and thus allow The Villages to reduce staffing. Perhaps, The Villages cold actually reduce current costs by increasing pay high enough to attract the most experienced people and allow total manpower to be reduced down to a number reflecting the high productivity of the most experienced personnel. There are likely similar questions that should be considered as The Villages addresses this important issue involving safety, costs, and people.
Lon Barnaby
Village of Antrim Dells