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Finance committee ratifies labor contracts, confirms DPW director in package vote
Summary
Cranston’s finance committee on April 7 ratified collective bargaining agreements with Teamsters Local 251 and Laborers Local 1322 and gave advice and consent to Mayor Hopkins’ appointment of Frank Correo as director of public works; members emphasized need for continuity, verified funding and asked for procedural follow-ups.
Cranston’s finance committee on April 7 approved union contracts that cover municipal employees and gave the mayor’s nominee for public works director the committee’s assent, moving both labor agreements and the appointment to the full council for final action.
Union contracts: The committee approved ordinances ratifying two collective bargaining agreements. Ordinance 32-501 ratified the agreement with Teamsters Local 251 covering municipal employees for the period July 1, 2024 through June 30, 2027. Ordinance 32-502 (numbering in the packet) ratified the Laborers Local 1322 contract for the same period. Public commenters representing labor — including Arthur Jordan, business manager of the Rhode Island Laborers District Council and a longtime Cranston resident, and Gary Da Silva of Teamsters Local 251 — urged the committee to approve the contracts, saying both sides negotiated in good faith.
The committee voted on the ordinances by roll call; both ratifications passed on recorded votes.
DPW appointment: The committee also considered Mayor Hopkins’ nomination of Frank Correo to serve as director of the Department of Public Works. Administration staff described Correo’s decades-long engineering career at the Rhode Island Department of Transportation and his recent temporary service with Cranston’s public works department. The mayor’s office said Correo agreed to forego roughly $27,000 of city-paid medical and dental benefits in exchange for a portion of the proposed compensation, and that FY2026 budget planning includes a $172,000 line for the position.
Correo addressed the committee, detailed his years overseeing major state projects and said he planned to prioritize operations, safety and responsiveness. Council members asked procedural questions about funding and whether a chief-engineer slot would still be filled; administration representatives said funds exist in the current departmental budget and that the chief engineer position remains a planned hire. Multiple council members praised Correo’s qualifications and recommended moving the nomination forward.
The committee voted to approve the mayor’s appointment by roll call during the meeting. The items — the two contract ratifications and the appointment — will appear on the council calendar for final action.
Votes at a glance - Ordinance 32-501 (Teamsters Local 251 collective-bargaining agreement, 07/01/2024–06/30/2027): approved by roll call. - Ordinance 32-502 (Laborers Local 1322 collective-bargaining agreement, 07/01/2024–06/30/2027): approved by roll call. - Advice and consent to Mayor Hopkins’ appointment of Frank Correo as public works director: approved by roll call; committee members noted budget provisions and asked administration to confirm salary schedule mechanics before final council vote.
Why it matters: The contracts set pay, terms and staffing conditions for significant swaths of Cranston’s municipal workforce. The confirmed DPW director will oversee highways, refuse, fleet and stormwater services in the city’s largest operational department, affecting service delivery across neighborhoods.
What’s next: The ratification ordinances and the appointment move to the full City Council for final action; administration staff said they will confirm precise budget coding and timing in advance of the council vote.
