Laid-off Warren employee returns to work

WARREN — The city’s formerly laid-off operations director returned to work today after an Ohio Supreme Court decision last week that said he was entitled to fill a job left vacant last summer by retirement.

Frank Tempesta came back to work as operations superintendent, which caused Pat Calvey to be assigned as water department supervisor. Three other employees were bumped back down to other jobs as a result, city officials said.

Tempesta, who was a nonunion management employee, was laid off in 2009 at the same time the city laid off numerous union employees to cut costs.

But a year later, the union position of operations superintendent came open when Dave Mazzochi retired. The city promoted Calvey to the position. Tempesta sued, and the state's high court agreed with him, saying last week that Tempesta should have had the position.