South County Independent

NARRAGANSETT — Reactions were mixed to the three-year collective bargaining agreement ratified by the town and the International Association of Firefighters Local 1589, the union that represents the town’s firefighters.

The Town Council ratified the agreement Monday on a 3-2 vote, with Council President Glenna Hagopian and Councilman Chris Wilkens casting the dissenting votes.

Over the life of the agreement, the town should realize a total savings of $175,365, according to information provided by the Finance Department.

The agreement calls for slight increases to pension contributions, pay increases and the elimination of compensatory time, a unique form of overtime included in firefighter contracts.

Hagopian and Wilkens said they weren’t satisfied with the increases in pension contributions.

“There were definitely some concessions,” said Hagopian after the meeting. “I just can’t see inching along with these incremental give-ups considering the situation we are in.”

Firefighters, who currently contribute 9 percent of their salary to the town’s pension plan, will see that number increase by a half of a percent on Dec. 1, and another half of a percent on Jan. 1, 2013.

Before voting on the agreement, the council approved a three-year agreement with Local 1033, which includes technical, supervisory and middle management positions. That pact calls for 11 percent pension contributions starting in 2013, the same agreement the town had reached with Council 94 earlier this year.

“I’d like to see some uniformity,” said Hagopian.

“I’m not very happy with it,” said Wilkens during the meeting.

Councilman David Crook disagreed, saying the agreement – which was struck days before arbitration hearings between the town and the union were slated to start – was a win for the town.

“It turned out very well for us,” said Crook. “You saved us hundreds of thousands of dollars.”

Town Solicitor Mark A. McSally said most of the savings result from elimination of compensatory time, a contract provision that costs the town about $150,000 annually. In Narragansett, firefighters who work overtime have two options: receive overtime pay or take time-and-a-half compensation and store it in a compensatory bank. Starting in December, compensatory time will be eliminated.

“They can receive up to 36 hours of time, and when they want to take their comp time, someone else has to work overtime,” said Town Manager Grady Miller. Miller was referring to minimum staffing requirements that mandate eight firefighters on duty at all times.

“It just keeps perpetuating,” said McSally, who added Narragansett is one of the few municipalities that use compensatory time.

“We felt that we always wanted to be part of the solution and not part of the problem,” said Lt. John Stone, president of Local 1589. “Making a concession for a benefit such as compensatory time was a substantial benefit to concede. We understand that it was a substantial expense.”

Stone said that, given the savings over the life of the agreement, he was surprised it was met with resistance from the council.

There were no changes in base wages for fiscal year 2009-10.

For fiscal year 2010-11, each firefighter will receive a 2.5 percent lump sum payment, based upon base wages only. Longevity, holiday rescue and any other incentive pay will not be used to calculate the lump sum payment.

In 2011, a 1 percent wage increase on Dec. 1 will be followed by a 1.5 percent wage increase on June 30. Firefighters will receive a 1 percent increase on Jan. 1, 2013, and a 1.5 percent wage increase on June 30, 2013.

Last year, a neutral arbitrator ruled that firefighter health care contributions would jump to 20 percent of the premiums, a number that will not increase with the new agreement.

McSally said the town stands to save because the agreement allowed both sides to avoid costly arbitration.

“This solves that problem, because now we are current with another year and a half to go before we have to deal with this again,” said McSally. “This clears out the back docket.”

In 2009, the Town Council authorized a transfer of $105,000 from the town’s contingency fund into its legal fund to cover costs for negotiations.

The council also voted 4-1 to approve the three-year collective bargaining agreement with R.I. Laborers’ District Council Local 1033. The agreement includes a 1.5 percent cost of living increase in 2011-12, followed by consecutive 2 percent increases the following two years. Employee contributions to the town’s pension plan will jump from 9 percent to 10.5 percent of salary on July 1, 2012. On July 1, 2013, the number will rise to 11 percent. The agreement will cost the town $19,309 over a three-year period.

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