Snow Removal Uproar in Belmont County

MARTINS FERRY, OH -  

Recently, the city of Martins Ferry laid off six employees due to lack of work.

Friday, the city hired an independent contractor to remove snow piles downtown, something the laid-off employees could be doing.

The news upset the laid-off employees and their union, AFSCME Local 1260.

Mayor Phil Wallace defended the decision.

"Yes, we do have six people laid off but it’s because of lack of work. We can't tell when it's going to snow, so if we kept them around doing nothing, it would have been useless to the city," says Mayor Wallace.

The Union isn't buying it.

"I’ve been here 17 years and this is the first time, the first administration to say there's a lack of work," says Union President John Suriano. "You can talk to any citizen in Martins Ferry, and they'll tell you, there's work to be done in every neighborhood."

That work includes cleaning up the piles of snow downtown.

According Mayor Wallace, the city was forced to call an independent contractor to clear them after six city employees called off Friday.

"I made an emergency decision to call an independent contractor and they started to take the snow away,” says Mayor Wallace. “However, they got intimidating phone calls so they backed out of cleaning the streets."

That means the streets still aren't clear.

To which, the Mayor believes the Union is trying to make a point.

"It wouldn't help because of their 14 day call back notice," says Mayor Wallace. “It would take 14 days to bring them back.”

Union President Suriano disagrees. He says all the city has to do is ask.

"They need to talk to the union and we'd lift the 14 day call back notice. If they wanted the employees back today, we'd allow it," says Suriano. “I believe the people of Martins Ferry pay a city income tax and they're the ones getting the short end of the stick in all of this.”

Mayor Wallace says the city is working on another company to come in and get the snow removed downtown.