Middletown, firefighters strike deal on contract

June 07--MIDDLETOWN -- After more than five years without a new contract, city officials and paid firefighters have struck a deal that includes retroactive and future salary increases, firefighters paying more for health insurance costs and a requirement that new firefighters live in the city.

The city Board of Estimates, headed by Mayor Joe DeStefano, voted 2-0 Tuesday afternoon to recommend that the city Common Council ratify the contract. The Common Council planned to meet Tuesday evening to vote on the deal.

Michael Demchak, president of the firefighters union, said members will meet to ratify the contract on June 14. The city has about 25 paid, unionized firefighters, including one fire inspector. The city also uses volunteer firefighters.

The contract, as laid out in a summary by city attorney Rich Guertin, will give firefighters yearly, retroactive 1.5 percent salary increases from 2013 to 2016. Moving forward, firefighters will see a 2 percent salary increase this year, 2.5 percent in 2018, 2.75 percent in 2019 and 2 percent in 2020.

The retroactive raises will be paid in lump sums, by check, within 60 days after the contract is ratified, according to the city.

Since the current contract expired at the end of 2012, firefighters had only been receiving yearly step increases.

The new deal also will have firefighters hired after Jan. 1, 2015 pay 15 percent of their medical insurance costs, including into retirement. In retirement, new firefighters will now only be eligible for individual health coverage.

In the current contract, firefighters paid 15 percent of health insurance premium costs for five years. The contributions then drop to 10 percent in the sixth year and the city fully pays the costs from the seventh year and beyond. The city currently pays for all of the health insurance premiums for retired firefighters and their families.

"This is a contract that recognizes times have changed in health care," DeStefano said.

DeStefano said the exact cost to pay for the retroactive raises hasn't been determined, but he said it'll likely be between $300,000-$400,000 and be drawn from the city's general fund. He said savings from reduced health insurance premiums should pay for salary increases going forward.

"We ended up with a good product in the end," DeStefano said.

Demchak also said he was pleased with the deal and was aware of the burden that health insurance costs to the city.

"I think we're in line with other fire contracts throughout the state," Demchak said.

The new deal also includes a provision that new firefighters must have their primary home within the city, a rule that was in effect before 2009 but was negotiated away in the current contract.

"That's how you create a middle class in a small city," DeStefano said.

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