Firefighters, police and labor leaders tell Dunkirk Common Council they have no confidence in mayor and city attorney

Representatives of the city’s public-safety unions told the Dunkirk Common Council on April 21 that they have lost confidence in the mayor and the city’s legal counsel.

Jake Stern, speaking for Dunkirk Professional Firefighters Local 616, presented a unanimous vote of no confidence and said the union has been operating under an expired contract since Dec. 31, 2024. “These actions undermine fair labor practices that harm employee relations and expose the city to unnecessary legal and operational risks,” Stern said, listing alleged leadership failures, personnel losses and recruitment challenges.

John Arns, president of the Dunkirk Police Benevolent Association, said his organization has similarly approved a unanimous vote of no confidence, citing a breakdown in leadership that he said harms officers and public safety. Arns noted that one officer was shot on March 24 and said the mayor’s office did not reach out directly to the officer or his family after the incident. He also said the city faces 14 charges before the state Public Employment Relations Board (PERB), including missed deadlines and unilateral contract changes. “This is a pattern,” Arns said.

Denise Abbott, president of the Western New York Area Labor Federation, AFL-CIO, which represents multiple local unions, told the council that regional labor will stand with city workers and urged elected officials to act with transparency and integrity. Representatives from other locals, including Raymond Abramowitz of Local 912, voiced solidarity with the firefighters and police union speakers.

The public comments came during the meeting’s privilege-of-the-floor period; council members did not take formal action on the unions’ requests during the session. The unions urged the Common Council to consider its own vote or other steps to address their allegations.