From the Riverside-Brookfiled Landmark:
After its previous contract expired at the end of 2012, it took Brookfield police and the village nearly a year to finalize a new agreement. However, reaching a deal with the village’s firefighters was much smoother. On December 9, village trustees unanimously approved a new three-year contract—three weeks before the current one was set to expire.
"The relationship between both sides has been very professional," said Village Manager Riccardo Ginex. "It's a big change from how things were in the past."
Ginex was referring to a time when firefighters reluctantly accepted a one-year pay freeze in 2010 to avoid layoffs. This led to tension and eventually prompted the firefighters to switch union representation from the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) to the International Association of Firefighters (IAFF).
In 2011, the two parties negotiated a three-year agreement that restored pay increases but also required firefighters to cover a higher portion of their health insurance premiums.
The latest contract, which expires on December 31, 2016, keeps the firefighter health insurance contribution at 15 percent. It also includes annual base pay raises of 2.5%, 3%, and 2.5% over the three years. But there's more to it: firefighters receive step raises during their first six years, which significantly boost their salaries beyond the base raise percentages.
For example, a firefighter starting on January 1, 2014, would earn $56,054. With step raises, that amount jumps to $61,697 in 2015—a 10% increase. By 2016, the salary would rise to $69,961, a 13.4% jump. By the end of the contract, a firefighter in their sixth year would make $87,239. That’s a 60% increase from their starting salary of $54,526 in 2010.
After six years, firefighters no longer receive step raises and only get the base pay increase each year. A starting lieutenant as of January 1, 2014, would earn $90,058. Lieutenants get step raises for two years after being promoted, so by 2016, their salary would be $100,325—an 11.4% increase. After that, they only get the base raise.
A notable addition to the contract, requested by the union, is a clause prohibiting firefighters from working as firefighters or paramedics during their off-duty hours. The goal is to prevent injuries while moonlighting, though the village would still be responsible for disability benefits if such an injury occurs.
Ginex added that the IAFF is also pushing for all fire departments in the state to use full-time firefighters instead of paid-on-call personnel.
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