From the Riverside-Brookfiled Landmark:
It took nearly a year for the Brookfield police and the village to finalize a new agreement after their previous contract ended in late 2012. However, negotiating a fresh deal with Brookfield's firefighters turned out to be a smoother process. On December 9, village trustees approved the new three-year contract unanimously, approving it well before the existing contract expired.
"The relationship between both parties was exceptionally professional," noted Village Manager Riccardo Ginex. This stands in stark contrast to what things were like just a few years ago. Back in 2010, Brookfield's firefighters reluctantly agreed to a one-year pay freeze instead of facing layoffs. Following this contentious agreement and the unrest that followed, the firefighters switched their union representation from the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) to the International Association of Firefighters (IAFF).
In 2011, they reached a three-year deal that reinstated pay raises but also required firefighters to contribute slightly more toward their health insurance premiums.
The most recent contract, valid until December 31, 2016, keeps the firefighter's contribution to health insurance at 15% and includes base pay increases of 2.5%, 3%, and 2.5% annually. Yet, it also maintains step increases for firefighters during their first six years, which significantly boosts salaries beyond what the base pay raise percentages might suggest.
For instance, a firefighter beginning his career on January 1, 2014, would start at $56,054. With the step increase, his salary rises to $61,697 in 2015—a 10% increase. By 2016, his earnings climb to $69,961, adding another 13.4%. By the end of the contract, a firefighter in his sixth year could earn $87,239. If he had been hired in 2010 at $54,526, his overall raise over six years would be an impressive 60%.
After six years, firefighters are no longer eligible for step increases; they only receive the annual base pay raise. A starting lieutenant, starting at $90,058 as of January 1, 2014, receives step increases alongside base pay raises for two years at the rank. A lieutenant who started in 2014 would make $100,325 by January 1, 2016, reflecting a total raise of 11.4%. Post that, they only get base pay raises.
One of the more significant changes in the contract, as requested by the union, is a clause preventing Brookfield firefighters from moonlighting as firefighters or paramedics elsewhere when they're off-duty in Brookfield. The stated rationale is to avoid job-related injuries while working elsewhere as a firefighter or paramedic. Even so, Brookfield would still be responsible for paying disability benefits in such cases.
According to Ginex, though, the IAFF also advocates for all fire departments in the state to hire full-time firefighters rather than relying on paid-on-call personnel.
Thanks, Dan.
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