Providence Mayor David Cicilline says his goal is to "reduce the costs of labor" in upcoming negotiations with the city's public employee unions. Speaking on the WLNE-TV "Truman Taylor Show", Cicilline indicated there were a variety of ways to achieve this goal from staffing changes, health care co-pays, or pension reforms. The mayor said he did not have a strong preference on how costs were cut as long as the aggregate compensation package was reduced. "There is nothing that is off the table," he pointed out. "Taxes are too high" within the city.
The mayor also expressed support for longer school days in Providence Public Schools. "One of the things we have to get to is a longer school day," he argued. This could happen through more instructional time, teacher preparation, or teacher consultation. Soon, Cicilline said he would be announcing a new after-schools initiative that would "provide learning around the clock."
