From the Riverside-Brookfiled Landmark:
After its previous contract expired at the end of 2012, it took Brookfield police and the village nearly a year to finalize a new agreement. However, reaching a deal with the firefighters was far smoother. On December 9, village trustees unanimously approved a new three-year contract—three weeks before the current one was set to expire.
Village Manager Riccardo Ginex praised the positive tone of the negotiations. “The relationship between both sides has been extremely professional,†he said. “It’s very different from what we saw in the past.â€
Ginex was referring to a time when firefighters reluctantly accepted a one-year pay freeze in 2010 to avoid layoffs. That situation led to a shift in union representation, as the firefighters moved from the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) to the International Association of Firefighters (IAFF).
In 2011, the two parties reached a three-year agreement that restored pay increases but also required firefighters to contribute more toward their health insurance premiums.
The latest contract, which expires on December 31, 2016, maintains the 15% contribution for health insurance and includes annual base pay raises of 2.5%, 3%, and 2.5% over the three years. It also retains step raises for the first six years of a firefighter's career, significantly boosting salaries beyond the base raise percentages.
For example, a firefighter starting on January 1, 2014, would earn $56,054. With step raises included, their salary jumps to $61,697 in 2015—a 10% increase. By 2016, it would reach $69,961, a 13.4% raise. After six years, they would make $87,239. Compared to a starting salary of $54,526 in 2010, this represents a 60% total raise over six years.
After six years, firefighters no longer receive step raises, according to the contract. They then only get the base pay increase each year.
A starting lieutenant as of January 1, 2014, earns $90,058. Lieutenants receive step raises in addition to base pay raises for the first two years at that rank. A lieutenant who started in 2014 would make $100,325 by January 1, 2016—a 11.4% increase. After that, they only receive base pay raises.
One of the key changes in the contract, requested by the union, is a clause that prohibits firefighters from moonlighting as firefighters or paramedics when off-duty. The stated reason is to prevent job-related injuries while working elsewhere. The village would still be responsible for disability benefits in such cases.
Ginex also noted that the IAFF hopes to see all fire departments in the state use full-time firefighters instead of paid-on-call personnel.
Thanks Dan
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