The firefighters’ union had been asking for a four percent pay raise each of the three years of the contract, according to Trustee Board President Tom Farrell.
“We did give something up in order to agree to the two-two-two,” he said. “We gave them a $750 signing bonus and we gave an extra week of vacation for anyone over 21 years of service and an extra 12 hours for years 11 to 15.”
Firefighters in Liberty Twp. will now also get time-and-a-half for working Christmas Day, according to Farrell.
“… all the unions have been pushing that if you are working on a holiday like Christmas you should at least get time-and-a-half,” he said.
The union president could not be reached for comment.
West Chester Twp. trustees, without comment, voted to reject a union fact finder’s recommendation for a $1,000 lump sum payment plus a 2.5 percent increase in the first year and three percent in the each of the following two years for its police department.
The police, who were asking for a $2,500 lump sum “equity adjustment” and a five percent increase the first year and four percent pay raises the next two years accepted the fact finders’ recommendation.
The trustees wanted to freeze base pay for three years and make a lump sum payment of $750 the first year, a lump sum payment of $1,000 the second year if revenues reach a set amount, and another $1,000 with the same conditions the third year.
“The township’s proposal was based upon its projection of deficits in the police funds and the need for concessions or even possible layoffs to meet its carry-over goal of 25 percent of its annual expenses,” fact finder Mitchell Goldberg wrote.
Trustee Lee Wong said he and his fellow trustees felt they could not afford the proposal.
“They asked for too much,” Wong said. “It’s not sustainable, that kind of a salary increase.”
Paul Lovell, the union’s secretary said he cannot discuss the contract since it hasn’t been settled.
The next step will be to go through conciliation. Because the police department is not allowed to go on strike, the conciliator’s decision will be final.
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