NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — The City Council on Tuesday approved a retroactive contract with the North Adams Police Association Local 382, but not without debate.
The agreement covers the two years — 2009 and 2010 — during which police were working without a contract. The retroactive agreement gives officers a 2 percent raise for each year at a cost of $40,000.
Mayor Richard Alcombright said the agreement would allow a fresh start by bringing the police union up to the same level as the five unions that have had contracts and set the stage for the next round of talks.
Councilor Lisa Blackmer, however, questioned if this was the time to give out raises, even such small ones.
"Given that state employees, most private sector employees, Social Security retirees haven't recieved an increase," she said. "It seems a little generous."
Alcombright said the city's legal counsel had advised going with the 2 percent because the other unions had received closer to 5 percent to 5.5 percent in terms of step or wage increases during those years. Should it have gone to the labor board, the city could have been ordered to give the police the same amount, he said.
"We think this was a very fair settlement," said the mayor. "Negotiations went very, very well and the police dealt with it very respectfully."
Blackmer agreed it was important to consider the legal advice, but continued "it is really hard to sit here and vote for these increases when we've just raised taxes, we just raised our water fees and we've instituted a sewer fee because we don't have any money ... This is really disconcerting."
Councilor Keith Bona noted that the city's employees are among the lowest paid in the county. "While 2 percent is less than 5 percent, given in previous years," he said, "our police officers are still fighting the fight just as much as the other towns and getting paid several thousand less."
Councilor Michael Bloom said it had to be understood it was a contract that had been delayed, not a new one.
Alcombright said the funds for the raises would come from the police overtime account; depending on overtime or sick time, the entire amount could be covered from already budgeted amounts. If not, it would come from the $90,000 the council recently transferred into an unclassified reserve account.
The city is still in talks with the firefighters on a retroactive contract for the same years and is in negotiations, or preparing to go into talks, with all seven public unions. Alcombright said the hope was for three-year contracts with all of them so those issues could be put aside awhile.
"I really hope that in the next contract you look for some nonmonetary benefits," said Blackmer, who added she wasn't against unions but has been hearing from residents.
"Trust me, those conversations are being held right now," responded Alcombright, adding it would be difficult to continue without concluding the past contracts. He also said the talks over the insurance settlement had allowed for discussions about the city's financial condition.
"They understand. There's no question they understand," he said. "When you say there's no money, people know. They get it."
The seven councilors present voted unanimously to approve changes to the compensation plan for police officers; Councilors Marie Harpin and Michael Boland were absent.
In other business, the council:
► Approved changes to the Commission on Disabilities that would allow "salaried staff members of handicapped service providing agencies" to serve on the committee as is done in other communities.
► Authorized the mayor to sign a sewer agreement with the town of Adams that adds the gravel bank and several parcels behind the old State Street to the town's septic system and extends the contract to 2036. The contract also calls for a $20,000 hook up fee for commercial development, as required by the Adams Selectmen. The city has had an agreement with the town for 25 years to accept waste water along the southern Route 8 corridor that includes the industrial park and former North Adams Plaza.
► Approved the appointing of election officers (listed below) with Councilor Gailanne Cariddi, who is running in the primary, abstaining. They also approved the warrant for the primary on Sept. 14 with Cariddi, again, abstaining.
► Set a public hearing for Verizon and National Grid for setting utility poles at the intersection of Union and Main streets for Aug. 24 at 7:30 p.m.
iBerkshires.com welcomes critical, respectful dialogue. Name-calling, personal attacks, libel, slander or foul language is not allowed. All comments are reviewed before posting and will be deleted or edited as necessary.
Interesting note about the parcels behind the proposed WalMart Superstore. I would have thought that both the Council and the Adams Selectmen would want to know what was in the works before voting on this. Doesn't the developer for WalMart already own that land?
I doubt anything would change, but it seems possible that Adams could get screwed in the long run. 2036?
Councilor Blackmer is right on this one. Regardless of whether this is an "old" contract, the reality is that many people in North Adams have either lost their jobs, had no pay increases in two years or had pay or benefit cuts since 2008. When the city demands we all pay extra for property taxes, water and now a new sewer fee, it shouldn't be handing out ANY raises to city workers. That "small" 2% increase, which is really 4% immediately because it's retroactive over two years, pays for the police, and soon firefighters, to pay their extra share of taxes and fees without any shared pain whatsoever.
How about it! The Mayor says North Adams has no money.Lets see,no raises for the Police save 40,000 no raises for the fire dept save 40,000. Replace the Saftey Officer Morrocco save 60,000. Bona says the police are fighting the fight everyday. Where? Court, Key West, directing traffic.The past year alone one cop went to jail, one almost went, and now fighting the public in bars. Yea they def earned it.
Just sayin, everything is going up, up, up, and the mayor says no other way. More taxes and fees. City is broke. Then next meeting it is spend 80 thousand on commissioner. Another meeting it is 40 thousand more police pay. Mayor and Bona have it wrong. The other unions did NOT get 5% raises and the police get 2% raises. That’s a lie. Bloom? What is he gonna say about anything about the police with his bar problems? He knows better. It is hard now for old people and everyone getting layed off and stuff everywhere. Barrett said police and fire made a mistake when they didn’t settle with the other unions. Times got bad, real bad. I think it just should have been talked about and known how it is now. Not against the police or fire. Just don’t want bobble heads just yup yupping everything. New mayor, new council? The councilors are supposed to talk about things and get answers from the mayor. Would be nice if the mayor would have answers instead of just answering what he thinks up. If you don’t know why the Adams selectmen set the amount they did for hook ups, then ask them for crying out loud, don’t wonder and guess why and make up your own answers about everything.
I have been a homeowner in North Adams for over three years and I do not see anything wrong with the raise for officers considering the safety they provide for our city. Regarless that priceses are going up while wages stay the same, I feel better know that our police officers are being taking care of for the job that they do. It's a shame that some believe that the police department are not regarded well when in fact they are the front line of the safety of our city along with the firedepartment. I feel good knowing that my family is being protected by law enforcers of our city while i am deployed in Afghanistan.
Dear SGT, first, thank you for your service to our country. I've been a homeowner in the city for over 20 years, and I also appreciate the work the police do. But... at a time when the Mayor says "there is NO money" and he and the council are forcing homeowners to pay for the largest tax increase in decades, combined with a water rate increase and a new sewer fee, city workers have to share the pain, and they're not doing that. They have regularly been given raises, even under Barrett. In fact, he offered them 3% each year for three years before he left office, and they refused only because they didn't like him. Now, at a time when all of us are still hurting badly and we're being squeezed for every dime we have and many dimes we don't have, the city is handing out 4% retroactive increases (2% each over two years) and the mayor plans to do the same for firefighters. Where is this money coming from when he says we have NONE? I've paid enough and now I'm paying more. The city is paying the cops so they can now easily afford to pay those extra taxes and fees, and that's just not right.
I disagree that the Police should get a retro raise. The population of the city is decreasing every year. I say we need to start reducing some of these departments including the fire dept. No disrespect to these fine individuals, its just that its upsetting to the community who is paying these guys salaries and they all are outside standing around with not much to do most of the time.
