Mayor Daniel Rivera and Fire Chief Brian Moriarty announce that on February 5th, the Lawrence Firefighters Union ratified a 4-year contract between the City of Lawrence and Firefighters Local 146. This contract comes after long, tense negotiations that included a threat of a boycott by the Firefighters that caused a Columbia Gas Disaster First Responders appreciation dinner to be cancelled on the one-year anniversary. In this contract, city gets to give light duty assignments and curb sick leave accumulation, as well as automatic direct deposit and electronic pay advices. The contract includes raises every year and brings detail pay rates in line with modern rates. The contract comes with a pay structure that is affordable for the tax payers of the City of Lawrence. The contract will be retro-active from 2019-2022. This is the second contract in 6+ years the Mayor has reached with the Lawrence Firefighters Union.
“I am glad that we could get into an amicable agreement with the Firefighters Union. As the steward of the people’s money, it is my responsibility to ensure a fair shake for the taxpayers and a reasonable compensation package for the hardworking men and women of the Lawrence Fire Department. This contract meets both of these criteria. I just want to remind people that we are not out of the woods financially but this contract is affordable and shows the city’s appreciation for their dedication,” said Mayor Daniel Rivera.
Contract Highlights:
- Light duty assignments
- Adjusted detail rates for fire watches
- Adjusted sick leave accumulation limited to 350 days
- Automatic direct deposit and electronic pay advices
- Year One: 2.0%
- Year Two: 2.0 %
- Year Three: 2.0%
- Year Four: 2.5%