P. Beach Fire Dept. agrees to contract

Bargaining agreement provides better pay and benefits.

After years at the bargaining table, Palm Beach firefighters have reached an agreement with the town that would give them better pay and benefits.

Rank-and-file union members voted Thursday and Friday on a contract regarding pensions, relief days, promotions, salary, raises and other benefits.

Jose Gonzalez, president of the International Association of Fire Fighters Local 2928, sent a letter to Town Manager Tom Bradford on Friday saying the collective bargaining agreement was ratified.

A total of 36 members voted with 32 in favor and four against, he said.

“Local 2928 is very pleased the members overwhelmingly voted in favor of this contract,” Gonzalez said Friday via email. “I am not surprised by this ratification because it is a fair contract in which both labor and management worked diligently to come to terms. The Local looks forward to continue working with Chief Donatto and the Town to provide the best possible service to the citizens while also making Fire Rescue a department where the employees will enjoy a long and rewarding career.”

Deputy Fire-Rescue Chief Darrel Donatto declined to comment on the agreement.

He said he’ll save his comments for the Town Council meeting June 13 when members will vote on final ratification.

Town and fire union representatives came to a tentative agreement last month after years of negotiations.

Talks began in October 2013. In December 2014, both sides agreed, in principle, on a contract.

But in February 2015, firefighters rejected that contract with a 20-0 vote.

On Aug. 28, 2015, both town and union officials declared an impasse citing two issues: the work week and retirement benefits. The impasse ended in January 2016.

The tensions began when the town declared an impasse in negotiations in 2010 and in 2011, imposed a contract with severe cuts to pensions and benefits that took effect May 1, 2012.

Gonzalez said last month that this contract doesn’t bring Palm Beach firefighters “in line with everyone in our area,” but it was a compromise that gets them “a little closer.”

As part of the new contract, firefighters would get a relief day, known as a Kelly Day, every 10th shift. Palm Beach firefighters work 24 hours on duty followed by 48 hours off duty, meaning the day off would come every 30 days.

Gonzalez said departments typically schedule Kelly Days every 21 days.

The new contract would put union employee pension benefits in line with those the council adopted last year for police officers and Fire-Rescue supervisors.

The benefit multiplier would be set at 2.75 percent, the retirement age would be 56 and contributions to retirement funds would range from 8 percent to 12 percent, among other changes.

Gonzalez said the 2015-17 contract would expire Oct. 1 at the end of the fiscal year and negotiations would start again.