Copyright 2006 Worcester Telegram & Gazette, Inc.
All Rights Reserved
By MILTON J. VALENCIA
Sunday Telegram (Massachusetts)
WORCESTER, Mass. — The sour relationship between the city and the firefighters union could improve soon, with the release of a much-anticipated arbitration ruling hailed by officials as a compromise that could settle one of the longest labor disputes in recent times.
City Manager Michael V. O’Brien has been briefing city councilors on the ruling and is expected to recommend a funding package to the council on Tuesday.
The city manager confirmed yesterday that the ruling was issued by the independent Joint Labor Management Committee late last week. He would not give details of the package, saying he would respect the process and that his administration is still analyzing the ruling. But he did say it had “substantive reforms” from past contracts that the city will be able to afford.
Firefighter Frank P. Raffa, president of Local 1009 of the International Association of Fire Fighters, said yesterday he has not seen the ruling but is confident it will be fair for both sides. Mr. Raffa simply called on the city to honor the arbitration process, noting it has refused to fund past arbitration awards.
“We feel confident we’ll get these things behind us,” Mr. Raffa said. “Honor the ruling. That’s what we’ve said from the beginning. We’ve played by the rules and life goes on.”
The ruling apparently splits proposals made by the firefighters and the city during hearings that were held before the arbitration panel last month. There had been a significant gap between the proposals, with the city offering a 9.25 percent raise and the firefighters at one time calling for what would amount to a 45 percent raise when additional stipends were included.
The arbitration ruling gives pay raises similar to what is called a “model” contract the city signed with police officers, the first the administration signed in a new push to reduce contributions to employee health insurance.
Under the ruling, firefighters would get a 9.25 percent pay raise over four years, similar to what other unions received, and the city’s health insurance contributions would be reduced to 80 percent for existing employees and 75 percent for new hires.
The arbitration panel did recognize a past ruling that gave firefighters a 3 percent raise on top of base wages for the contract that ended in 2003. That ruling was based on a “reopener clause” the firefighters invoked after police officers received additional stipends in that year.
The arbitrator that gave the police officers the additional stipends said the increase was to bring police pay more in line with their counterparts in public safety. Firefighters had seen their pay increase regularly because a stipend for hazardous materials training was built into their base wages every year over the last decade.
But firefighters considered the additional police stipends a pay increase that triggered their “reopener clause,” and therefore sought additional raises. Two years ago, an arbitration panel ruled in their favor, awarding a 3 percent raise on top of wages set in 2003. The administration recommended a $5 million funding package, but the City Council rejected the plan because it called for laying off firefighters, selling city-owned property and raising taxes.
The city’s refusal to fund the award created tense relations between the firefighters and the administration that led to picketing and protests. Many feared the picketing would continue at the upcoming Democratic state convention that will be held in Worcester in June, creating an embarrassment for local officials.
The latest arbitration ruling recognizes the past award and gives firefighters a 3 percent raise with an additional $1,500 stipend. That would go into effect on June 30, 2007, however, instead of retroactively. The ruling is seen as a way to honor the past award but at the same time give the city time to plan funding, rather than having to fund what could amount to an immediate multimillion-dollar payout.
The latest ruling also eliminates what has been called a “double-counting” method that builds the hazardous materials stipend into base wages. Over the last decade, firefighters have received a 1.1 percent yearly stipend increase for training, but that increase has been built into base wages, effectively making it a pay increase. The arbitration ruling that gave police additional stipends in 2003 to bring their pay more in line with firefighters noted that firefighters received substantial increases because of the double-counting method.
The elimination of the double-counting method could save the city millions of dollars over the course of the contract, according to city estimates.
Mayor Timothy P. Murray, who had called for both sides to settle without the arbitration ruling because it was an unknowable risk for both sides, said yesterday the ruling appears to be a compromise that is fair for both.
He said the issue hasn’t been resolved, because the council still must debate the funding package.
“I’m encouraged by the initial reports,” the mayor said. “There appears to be ... something the city’s looking for, something the firefighters wanted. No one got everything they wanted, but they got some things they did (want).”
Councilor Joseph M. Petty, chairman of the public safety committee, said he hopes the ruling brings a conclusion to the bitter feud between the two sides, calling it a fair compromise.
“It appears, hopefully, to be a win for both sides, and, hopefully, both sides get that view,” he said. He said the decision gives raises, but in accordance with what the city can afford.
“That’s an important issue in this, and hopefully both sides will see this is a good decision,” he said.