Article 11 – Collective Bargaining Agreement with Fire Dept Supervisory Assoc. – $18,643 in 2021

Shall the Town of Hampton vote to approve the cost items included in the Collective Bargaining Agreement reached between the Hampton Board of Selectmen and the Hampton Fire Department Supervisory Association, affiliated with the Hampton Professional Firefighters Association, Local 2664, IAFF, which calls for the following increases in salaries and benefits at current staffing levels, over the amount paid in the prior fiscal year:

Estimated Increase (over previous year level)

2021 (39 weeks)            $18,643

2022 (52 weeks)            $25,013

2023 (52 weeks)            $26,402

2024 (13 weeks)             $ 6,668

And to further raise and appropriate $18,643 for the current fiscal year, such sum representing the additional costs attributable to the increase in salaries and benefits required by the new agreement over those that would be paid at current staffing levels? (Majority vote required)

What it means: The Article 11 Collective Bargaining Agreement covers 13 positions within the Fire Department, as follows:  Secretary & Part Time Fire Prevention Secretary, Fire Prevention Officer, Lieutenants (working supervisors who ride on the trucks and manage the operations of the beach fire station), Captains (shift commanders who ride on the trucks, manage the day-to-day operations of their shift, and develop daily work schedules, and Deputy Fire Chief (oversees the day-to-day operations of the fire department. This position is not currently filled and not eligible for OT).

The stated increases amount to 1 .4% in 2021; 1.9% in 2022 and 2.0% in 2023.

Those in favor say:  These positions support critical emergency service in our Town and the people involved have worked diligently in difficult situations, despite having their increases rejected last year.

Those opposed say: No one spoke against Article 11 at Deliberative Session.

Fiscal impact: A household valued at $400,000 would see a tax increase of $2.00 in 2021, and an increase of $3.14 for the highest cost year in the contract period (2023), if Article 11 is approved. Cost per thousand dollars of valuation is one-half of one cent in 2021.