Norwich officials approve new firefighters union contract

Dec. 06--NORWICH -- The City Council voted unanimously and without comment Monday to approve a three-year contract with the city's paid firefighters' union that calls for 2 percent raises in each year, but with significant concessions by the union on issues such as health insurance costs, pension calculations and the elimination of a stipend for EMT qualifications.

The contract, which is retroactive to July 1 of this year, covers 56 members of Local 892 of the International Association of Fire Fighters, including four shifts of 12 firefighters and a battalion chief, three fire marshals and one training officer.

Norwich Human Resources Director Brigid Marks said it was "a pleasure" working with the union's negotiating team, while union President Scott Merchant called this contract negotiation the toughest of his 12-year career in Norwich.

"Given the economic conditions in the city of Norwich, it's a fair contract for the city," Merchant said after the council vote.

He said the union already has ratified the contract "with a clear majority."

The contract calls for raises of 2 percent each year, but union members will see major increases in their pension contributions, health care contributions and the establishment of a high-deductible health plan. All union members are certified as EMTs, and had received a $1,000 stipend for that additional training. That stipend was eliminated in the new contract.

Another new feature is a cap placed on calculations for pensions totaling no more than 50 percent above base salaries. Norwich firefighters for years have not receive overtime pay for additional hours, but the entire earnings during those extra hours had been part of pension calculations for veteran firefighters.

"I consider it a flat contract," Merchant said.

City Comptroller Josh Pothier said the raises will cost $13,000 in the general fund portion of the budget paid by all city taxpayers, and $73,000 for taxpayers in the central city paid fire district. Those costs, however, cover only the salary increases and not the savings from the health plan, pension and EMT stipend changes, Pothier said.

Staffing levels in the paid department became a contentious issue discussed during last spring's budget session, when Council President Pro Tempore Peter Nystrom proposed eliminating one battalion chief position. The contract retains the current staffing level of 13 per shift -- a main goal of union negotiators, Merchant said.

The council approved the contract after discussing it for about an hour in executive session and voted without making any comments from the council floor.

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