“They do have the legal right, but I question whether they have the moral right to hold the rest of the city hostage,” Calnon said.

Timothy Carpenter (D-Ward 1) said he wondered if the entire union knew all of the facts of the HMO change.

“I’ve got to believe that all the union members did not have the true information about this because if they did, they would understand,” Carpenter said.

Union Public Information Officer Mark Gadway said the full union membership was thoroughly informed on the issue.

“Everyone was well-informed and aware of the alternatives and the consequences,” Gadway said.

The union has argued that the HMO change constitutes a negotiated item and should be part of bargaining sessions.

Gadway said he was disappointed in the council’s vote.

“I don’t know what direction the union body wants to go in, but we will meet on Oct. 7 and go from there,” Gadway said.

Councilor Michael Kelly (D-Ward 2) voted against the union’s proposal but said he felt that the issue does belong at the bargaining table.

“Compromise is the only way to come to a satisfactory agreement,” Kelly said.

Amy Valentine (D-Ward 5) said the situation was unfortunate, and she was disappointed in the union’s position.

“This is a statement of how detached the union is to the health-care burden,” she said.

“How they have been operating is counter to what a union should be doing; to serve everyone and not just a select few.”

George Rabideau (R-Ward 3) said the union was being “self-serving.”

“The Fire Department is not part of the solution. They are part of the problem,” he said.