By Nate Leskovic
Times Staff
3/13/08
As the town moves into final rounds of budgeting for the new fiscal year, police patrol officer and firefighter unions are still without contracts for the old fiscal year.
Officials say this is not uncommon. Yet potential raises negotiated in future contracts for two years have not been factored into budgets.
The contracts of other town unions, such as DPW and clerical workers, will expire at the end of this fiscal year.
In the override budget prepared by the Warrant Committee for next year, $3.27 million if approved, $1.9 million would be added for salary increases (see story above).
The number is subject to revision.
“Without a contract, you don’t know what the increase will be,” says Selectmen Chair Marion McEttrick. “We’ll wait and see what happens. If you get an agreement before Town Meeting you can put in a request for more money or try to absorb it in the regular budget.”
Last fall, the fire department reduced its shifts and occasionally takes one of three engines out of operation due to a lack of funds. Chief Malcolm Larson says the lack of a set-aside influenced the decision.
Warrant Committee Chair Katie Conlon says raises can also be covered through unappropriated cash from the previous fiscal year that becomes available in the fall, though there will be none available this year.
No unappropriated cash was available last fall, and Town Meeting earmarked $383,000 from the former landfill escrow account to cover unpaid school department bills.
The school department is currently negotiating its FY 09 contract with teachers. School Committee Chair Beirne Lovely says the department always attempts to have a new contract in place before the old one expires.
The town is currently negotiating new contracts with the police and fire unions, and McEttrick says officials are bargaining “very hard.”
“Sometimes it’s a very long, drawn-out process,” she says. “Sometimes it has to go to mediation, and it sometimes takes years. We don’t set a time frame. It’s an artificial constraint.”
McEttrick denies that negotiations are being stalled to hide increases in costs for the town, but says timing is sometimes a bargaining tactic.
“If you set an arbitrary date for scheduling, you can end up compromising some of your positions,” she says. “Sometimes one party or the other may delay because they feel it is advantageous to wait.”
Health insurance costs have not been determined at this time, and Firefighter Union President Jack Grant says both sides are waiting for the figures before moving forward.
“There’s no animosity involved,” he says about negotiations. “Though, the economic times are certainly a little different than during past contracts.”
Joe Fahey, president of the Patrol Officers’ Union, says talks have not stalled.
“It’s slow this year, but they’re moving along. It’s rare that it’s quick. I’m not overly disappointed at this time.”