Mass. Firefighters Get $1.5 Million Back Pay

May 27-- HAVERHILL -- More than 100 current and former firefighters -- including the local leader of the EMT training scam and the one who collected paychecks while in jail for four months -- have received $1.5 million in retroactive pay.

The money is part of an agreement that ended a six-year contract dispute between the firefighters union and the city. A total of 107 firefighters received money. Those still working in the Fire Department got the money with their May 11 paychecks, city officials said. The city sent checks to those no longer with the department, officials said.

Under the terms of the agreement, firefighters received retroactive pay raises of about 1.4 percent for each of the six years they worked without a contract.

Most of firefighters received between $15,000 and $20,000 -- boosting pay that last year was $88,945 for the average firefighter, including salary and overtime, according to a previous analysis of city payroll by The Eagle-Tribune.

The biggest bonus checks went to the department's deputy chiefs, with William Laliberty receiving $25,921; Brian Moriarty $25,206; Douglas Brown $22,079; and Robert O'Brien $20,974. Average pay in salary and overtime for deputies in 2011 was $112,8123.

The top-paid non-ranking firefighters in 2011 were Privates Michael Sullivan and Timothy Sullivan, who earned $117,186 and $113,988 respectively. Michael Sullivan received $21,888 in retroactive pay and Timothy Sullivan received $19,842. The two men work primarily in the fire dispatch center.

Retired firefighter Kevin Thompson, who on April 10 admitted in district court that he drove city firetrucks without a license at least 18 times, received $2,237 in retroactive pay this month. Thompson's check was almost half of the $5,000 he agreed to pay the city last month to resolve the criminal case against him and save his $3,474 monthly pension.

The city learned Thompson did not have a valid driver's license when officials discovered he had spent four months in a New Hampshire jail in 2010 on driving charges, but continued to get paid during his incarceration by keeping it secret from city officials. He retired when confronted by officials after he was released from jail and tried to return to work.

Other notables receiving the back pay included two firefighters who were fired for participating in a scheme that allowed 30 other city firefighters to lie about receiving required emergency-medical-technician training.

Jeff Given, who facilitated the EMT scheme and was fired in 2010, received a check for $3,109 and former Lt. Alex Fredette, who was fired last year, received $7,891. All of the other firefighters who admitted their roles in the EMT scheme also received some amount of back pay.

The agreement that provided the retroactive pay was an amendment to an arbitration award granted to firefighters in March by the Massachusetts Joint Labor-Management Committee. The award required the city to pay firefighters about $2.5 million in retroactive pay, but the fire union agreed to take less as part of the modified agreement with the city.

As part of the modified agreement, firefighters waived $524,000 in retroactive pay for 2007 through 2009 and made other concessions. In total, firefighters received a $1.65 million pay raise. The rest of the money is due to firefighters over the next two fiscal years.

The retroactive pay figures provided by the city do not include retroactive pay deductions of about $2,000 per firefighter that are the result of health care changes in the new contract, City Solicitor William Cox said. The $2,000 was taken out of the checks the men received this month, Cox said.

In 2011, the average deputy was paid $112,812; the average captain $106,268; the average lieutenant $94,201; and the average private $82,136. That is according to city payroll records. A total of 18 firefighters, mostly senior officers, each made more than $100,000 last year. Union officials have blamed the excessive pay on the mayor's refusal to hire more firefighters, which has led to most firefighters working large amounts of overtime.

Fire Department salaries start at $36,000 for entry-level firefighters and increase with promotions, but firefighters also benefit from financial perks, cash stipends and overtime pay.

Top recipients of retroactive fire pay

William Laliberty: $25,921

Brian Moriarty: $25,206

Ricci Arcardi: $23,595

David Butt: $22,940

Michael Sullivan: $21,888

Copyright 2012 - The Eagle-Tribune, North Andover, Mass.