MEDFORD, MASS. (WHDH) - The mayor of Medford is ordering a review of the fire department’s use of sick time after more than a dozen firefighters were out sick on the same day earlier this month but the union says it was not a coordinated effort.

“The union did not organize a sick-out,” said IAFF LOCAL 1032 President Eddie Buckley. “They did not know about a sick-out, they do not condone a sick-out.”

The city says on Feb.3 alone, 21 of the department’s 23 firefighters called out sick, forcing the city to pay $92,000, including $52,000 in overtime to cover shifts.

In a statement, Medford Mayor Breanna Lungo-Koehn said, “The excess sick leave usage and resulting overtime costs has a cascading effect throughout the City’s operating budget, and results in the diversion of funds away from critical investments in our schools, roads, and other social services.”

This is a developing news story; stay with 7NEWS on-air and online for the latest details.

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