Last week, the statewide media outlets were buzzing with activity. Protesters gathered on the state house lawn (and in the state house itself) as part of the Gaspee Tea Party. Organized by a group of people that assembled the hugely successful Tax Day Tea Party in April, the Gaspee Tea Party was assembled to protest excessive state spending. In Providence, Mayor David Cicilline’s six-year-long dispute with the Providence Firefighters’ Union came to a head as Providence prepared to host the U.S. Conference of Mayors convention.

As members of the Obama administration announced that they would not cross the union’s planned picket lines, the Providence Firefighters’ Union President Paul Doughty and Mayor Cicilline seemed to be featured in every other news article or talk radio segment. As a local political observer, I found the Providence situation with the firefighters’ union very interesting. The mayor seemed to be using local media and advertising to publicize his dispute with the union and capitalize on it via fundraising; whereas, one of the primary “beefs” voiced by Mr. Doughty was that Mayor Cicilline would not even sit down and meet face-to-face with union officials.

While Mayor Cicilline and Mr. Doughty did finally meet last week, it was to no avail and the picket lines were formed in protest as the conference began. Now, watching this scenario unfold from our perch here in Cranston, we had to laugh with some other news that broke last Thursday. The Cranston Firefighters’ Union, Local 1363 of the International Association of Fire Fighters, voted to approve a tentative agreement reached with Mayor Allan Fung that offers an estimated $3.3 million in savings over the next three years.

Mayor Fung has been in office less than six months. Mayor Cicilline has served as Providence’s mayor for over six years. How did Mayor Fung achieve so much, so soon, with the IAFF? We need only to look at the principal players involved in Cranston. Paul L. Valletta Jr. is the president of the Cranston local of the IAFF. As the head of the union that represents some 200-plus fire department employees, the department’s roughly 200 retirees and the widows of fallen firefighters, Mr. Valletta sits at one end of the municipal spectrum in Cranston. He is the primary advocate for the union membership and his job is to represent their interests to ensure that they are safe on the job, that they are paid well and that they are treated well by their employer, the city. In that regard, Mr. Valletta’s tenure as president is extremely successful. The IAFF Local 1363 is regarded as having one of the most generous contracts in the nation.

I have not yet met Mr. Valletta but I have seen him “in action” at numerous Cranston City Council meetings and budget hearings. Mr. Valletta is well-versed in his union’s contract terms with the city and he seems to be extremely knowledgeable of the department’s budget, too.

Now, while I may not agree with many of the things Mr. Valletta advocates for on behalf of his members, as they often come at a cost to the taxpayers, he deserves credit for his role as a tireless advocate for his members. In short, he is very good at the job to which his members elected him.

At the other end of the spectrum, there is the advocate for the residents and taxpayers of Cranston, Mayor Fung. From his time on the city council to now, Mayor Fung has been focused on doing what’s right for the city as a whole. His job is to maintain the services for, and to protect the welfare of, the residents of our fine city. Much like Mr. Valletta, Mayor Fung deserves credit for his role as a tireless advocate for his constituents. In short, he is very good at the job to which the voters of Cranston elected him.

When you look at their respective roles, one could assume that Mayor Fung and Mr. Valletta could engage in a long-running dispute if necessary, too. However, both men know too well that the city’s finances are in need of some help now and in the near future. Much as Mayor Fung did with the Cranston Police Union, the mayor was able to work with the union to generate savings both in the current fiscal year and in future years. More importantly, Mr. Valletta and the union came forward with concessions on their own that help the city save some real money right now.

In my first column for the Cranston Herald back in November 2008, I commented on the harmonious environment amongst all candidates on Election Day. Back then, I noted that in 2009, “a little harmony will go a long way to helping the city in a time of need.”

It is very apparent that Mayor Fung and members of some of the local unions can work in harmony to benefit Cranston’s residences and taxpayers. Now, let’s hope the City Council can keep the harmony going and begin to work with Mayor Fung to put the firefighter contract revisions in place. If not, Cranston residents may need to hold a Tea Party of their own.

Bruce Saccoccio can be reached at bruce.saccoccio@yahoo.com.