‘It’s personal.’ Firefighters in Stratford rally to protest terminated contracts
Dozens of area firefighters took the steps of Stratford Town Hall Friday afternoon to protest the recent contract terminations of Scot Sanford and William Hertzog.
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Local first responders are pushing back after they say two of their own were pushed out.
Dozens of area firefighters took the steps of Stratford Town Hall Friday afternoon to protest the recent contract terminations of Scot Sanford and William Hertzog.
“It’s personal to us,” union president Steve Michalovic says. “We’re looking at over 48 years of service between these two individuals.”
For the past few years, both firefighters have been recovering from on-the-job injuries.
After years of extended workers compensation leave, the town says neither Hertzog nor Sanford could provide a return-to-work date.
Mayor Laura Hoydick says each of the firefighters was given a choice: retire or have their contract terminated.
But Michalovic claims it’s much more complicated.
“To see such dedicated long-serving members of the department wronged like this,” Michalovic says. “It shakes the department to its core.”
