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St. Louis judge hears testimony over firefighter pension reform

Fire chief: Firefighters are leaving the force over uncertainty about their benefits

By Nicholas J.C. Pistor
The St. Louis Post-Dispatch

ST. LOUIS — A St. Louis judge heard testimony this morning from firefighters suing the city over a pension overhaul plan.

The Firemen’s Retirement System sued the city in January asking Judge Robert Dierker to block fixes made to Mayor Francis Slay’s firefighter pension reform plan passed by the Board of Alderman. The bill restored some retirement benefits that had been cut for vested firefighters, but created a new, parallel system for new and younger firefighters, giving them reduced benefits.

St. Louis Fire Chief Dennis Jenkerson testified this morning that the bill leaves unanswered questions. “It’s not as clear as it should be,” Jenkerson said.

Full story: St. Louis judge hears testimony over firefighter pension reform