Manchester Firefighters Get New Contract, Shift Change

Feb. 09--A new three-year contract for town firefighters includes a significant change in work schedules.

The board of directors on Tuesday approved the agreement with Local 1579 of the International Association of Firefighters, AFL-CIO. Retroactive to July 1, the contract includes wage increases of 2.25 percent in the first year and 2 percent in each of the following years.

To be signed within the next two weeks, the agreement will change schedules to 24-hour shifts, fire Chief David Billings said. Firefighters now work two 10-hour shifts, then two 14-hour overnight shifts, followed by four days off. That will change to a 24-hour shift, followed by 48 hours off, then 24 hours on, followed by 96 hours off, Billings said.

Both the current and new schedules average 42 hours a week over eight weeks, Billings said. Firefighters had asked for the change, he said, because studies have shown the new schedule is better for rest cycles. Also, the schedule will cut travel for firefighters who live farther away from their stations, the chief said.

Health insurance premium cost shares will increase so that in the third year of the contract, all members will pay 13 percent to 22.5 percent of their health insurance costs, depending on the plan they choose, town Administrative Services Director Dede Moore said.

The deal covers 78 members, including battalion chiefs, lieutenants, a fire marshal, fire inspectors, firefighter/paramedics and firefighters. Currently, without the first-year raise included in the new contract, the entry-level annual salary for a firefighter/paramedic is $53,297; for a battalion chief, $89,269.

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