Attorney Edward Roy, representing the Woonsocket and North Providence fire departments, Gary T. Gentile, attorney for Woonsocket Police Department, and Christopher Lambert, attorney for the City of Woonsocket, stand before Judge Susan E. McGuirl in Providence Superior Court.

The Providence Journal / Frieda Squires

NORTH PROVIDENCE –– Mayor Charles A. Lombardi, who had been pushing to lay off 30 firefighters, instead has reached a tentative agreement with their union that would cut wages, benefits and holiday pay, municipal officials said yesterday.

The accord, reached in Superior Court, Providence, would provide enough savings to avoid layoffs of any firefighters, Lombardi said.

He declined to divulge the precise terms of the deal, but he said firefighters had tentatively agreed to $250,000 in givebacks and he to finalize the agreement in court this morning.

“It’s a big turnaround for us,” Lombardi said. “I’m happy about this. The union was challenging our right to lay off … I think it’s a good day for the taxpayers.”

The preliminary agreement was cobbled together in private meetings prompted by Judge Susan E. McGuirl, who was sorting through a similar dispute involving Woonsocket firefighters.

In both cases, unions representing public safety employees, either firefighters or police officers, sought court orders that would keep their municipalities from using layoffs as a way to cut costs and eliminate projected deficits in the fiscal year that ends June 30.

In North Providence, employees were told that their wages will be cut 5 percent and they will be expected to pay 15 percent of the cost of their health care benefits, according to Lombardi.

Twenty union employees, who refused to accept the concessions, received layoff notices on Friday.

After voting to reject the concessions, the firefighters union, which has about 100 members, turned to Superior Court for protection from layoffs, which the union president, Lt. John Silva, argued would jeopardize public safety.

However, yesterday morning’s proceedings in Superior Court offered no opportunity for such arguments because McGuirl told the parties to negotiate.

In the Woonsocket dispute, lawyers for both sides said they were resolving some differences, but had not closed the deal.

“Progress has been made,” said city lawyer Christopher Lambert, “but we don’t expect an agreement.”

Woonsocket firefighters’ lawyer Edward C. Roy Jr. concurred with that assessment, saying “Yes and no” when asked if there had been progress. “We’re trying to finalize the progress.”

The City of Woonsocket’s lawyer, Joseph Rodio, has said the city needs $729,000 in concessions from the firefighters and $530,000 from the police to help close a $3.6-million hole in this year’s budget.

Like North Providence, the city has pressed for 5 percent pay cuts and 15 percent contribution to the cost of health insurance.

During a brief appearance before McGuirl in the afternoon, Lambert said the firefighters and the city would appear before her this morning concerning the union’s request for an order barring layoffs.

Inside

•In West Warwick, the Town Council votes to layoff 12 municipal workers. B2

•The Cranston City Council rejects a universal business license proposal, and OKs a zoning change that would allow a supermarket on Warwick Avenue. B2

mreynold@projo.com