BIDDEFORD — City officials heard critical testimony from several people at Tuesday night’s City Council meeting regarding the city’s recent proposal to cut benefits for its police officers, firefighters and public works employees, whose contracts expired June 30.

Dozens ”“ many who are members of the Teamsters Local 340 labor union, which represents Biddeford’s public employees ”“ turned up to protest the cuts, carrying red, white and blue signs that read, “Stop the war on workers.” Before the meeting, which was held at Biddeford High School’s Little Theater, the protesters marched outside of BHS, waving the signs and chanting “Union power!” and “What do we want? Contracts! When do we want them? Now!”

Ray Cote, business agent for Teamsters, said during the meeting that he hopes the large turnout will send officials the message that the union won’t back down in fighting for what it considers fair contracts.

“I’m hoping that the (City) Council sees that we’re all united, that we’re not going away, that we’re all here hoping to get a good contract,” he said. “We’re not going to roll over and go away and settle for whatever we can get.”

The city and the union have for months been locked in a battle over new contract negotiations.

The city is seeking to reduce benefits for its public safety and public works employees, arguing that the burden on Biddeford taxpayers has become too high. But the union maintains the proposed cuts ”“ which include the removal of retiree health insurance, a reduction in sick days and the elimination of accrued unused sick time, among others ”“ are unfair and will ultimately hurt the community. Union representatives have also argued that the city has no intention of making compromises to its proposal.

“The city, under the laws of this state, has an obligation to collectively bargain and negotiate in good faith,” Sgt. Philip Greenwood, chief steward of the police union, told councilors at the meeting. “It has been painfully obvious to me that the city has no intention of bargaining in good faith.”

Greenwood said when negotiations began about six months ago, the police union made no demands for wage or benefit increases ”“ as has been the case for the last decade or so ”“ but the city still proposed what he called “draconian cuts.”

“The police department has a history of demonstrating tremendous good faith toward the city and to be confronted by the city in this way, in this manner was at best insulting,” he said, before urging councilors to reevaluate the city’s proposal.

Similarly, Sgt. Jeff Greene of the Biddeford Police Department told officials, “I don’t agree with what you’re doing. I don’t agree with the cuts. I don’t think they’re fair.”

Greene ”“ who asked councilors to empathize with his on-the-job experiences, which include an officer-involved fatal shooting and being run over by a vehicle ”“ said if the cuts go through, many of his colleagues will leave the department.

“Some of my best friends, who I would take bullets for, aren’t going to be working with me anymore,” he said. “All I want to do and have you guys do is treat people fairly.”

But while the union perceives the proposed cuts as unfair, Michael Wing, the city’s negotiator, told the Journal Tribune earlier this month that benefits for public employees in Biddeford are higher than in similar communities and therefore should be reduced.

“The city is concerned about retiree health insurance, excess sick leave accumulation and other employee benefits that are in excess of industry standards,” Wing wrote in a July 6 email. “Maintaining these benefits at their present levels is an unfair burden which the taxpayers of Biddeford cannot afford.”

Greenwood, however, said at the meeting that Wing’s statements are “untruthful,” claiming a survey conducted by the city in 2014 shows Biddeford’s benefits to be in line with other towns and cities.

According to the results of that survey, which were provided by Cote and later verified by the city, the city’s proposal to cut sick days from 12 to six per year, for example, would bring Biddeford below at least 10 other similarly sized communities in terms of sick leave. In Saco and Sanford, for example, public employees have 12 sick days per year, according to the survey results provided by Cote.

After the meeting, Casavant commended the audience members who spoke, calling their input a positive step toward opening the floor to productive dialogue.

“I think they spoke from their hearts,” he said. “I think they have great pride in their jobs, and I think they want to do what’s best for the city. I think they understand, too, that we’re in a difficult position in terms of how to negotiate and how to find common ground. My belief is that what happened tonight is pretty positive.”

— Staff Writer Angelo J. Verzoni can be contacted at 282-1535, ext. 329 or averzoni@journaltribune.com.