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SPRINGFIELD, MA — Some 100 firefighters demanded COVID-19 merit pay on the steps of City Hall on Tuesday, saying they provide dangerous frontline service while Mayor Domenic J. Sarno drags his feet.
In response, Sarno said he was not surprised by the “antics” of four city councilors involved in scheduling the protest, but disappointed the firefighters’ union leadership was allowing itself to be used as a “political pawn.”
International Association of Fire Fighters Local 648 president Chad Jacobs defended the union’s right to protest. He said the Sarno administration has granted merit raises to non-bargaining supervisors and employees while holding up and setting conditions on merit pay for firefighters. Jacobs said firefighters during the pandemic have been at great risk of infection and infecting their families.
Councilor Justin Hurst, a lead organizer of the demonstration, said the firefighters should receive the maximum one-time bonus of $5,000. The group has “put their lives on the line, each and every day during the pandemic and before the pandemic,” he said.
“We want them paid, and we want them paid immediately,” Hurst said. “It shouldn’t take this long when you have given the nonbargaining employees the merit pay over a month ago.”
“No one has been more supportive of our public safety divisions than myself and my administration,” Sarno said in a statement. “I wonder how the rank and file of the IAFF Local 648 truly feel about the possibility of losing out on this merit bonus pay. If union leadership doesn’t want to receive this merit bonus pay of up to $5,000 and ‘look a gift horse in the mouth’, than my administration will continue to move on to our other brother and sister unions and other investment priorities.”
He added, “By the way, our Springfield Fire Department has responded to 6,000 fewer calls during this COVID-19 pandemic.”
Jacobs said the reduction in responses to calls was due to a city change in policy aimed at making firefighters safer.
Six other councilors submitted a joint statement Tuesday afternoon saying that, in fairness to all city employees, “we cannot support the approach taken by a few of our colleagues through recent press releases and planned public events.”
“Their demand that certain workers receive merit pay immediately and outside of the collective bargaining is irresponsible and sends the wrong message to our unions, employees, and residents,” the letter stated. “Determining how to administer merit pay for municipal workers should be about having a fair and transparent process. This takes time and diligence and should be done with care and thoughtfulness.”
The statement was issued by Council President Marcus Williams and councilors Michael Fenton, Jesse Lederman, Melvin Edwards, Malo Brown and Timothy Allen.
Sarno said that, under collective bargaining law, any changes in pay or working conditions must be negotiated with unions, whereas the merit pay can be given without negotiations to the nonbargaining supervisors and employees.
A proposed memorandum of agreement with firefighters included a list of 12 conditions for the merit pay, including that the amount would be reduced for certain firefighters who had extended sick leave and/or were out of work related to COVID for more than 14 days.
Sarno announced Tuesday that he had reached an agreement with another union, the United Food and Commercial Workers Local 1459, on the merit pay. Local 1459 represents various public works employees. He previously reached an agreement with a union representing parks workers, police garage foremen and other public works employees.
Approximately 250 nonbargaining city supervisors and employees have received the merit pay thus far, totaling nearly $1 million.
The merit pay is being granted to city employees deemed by cabinet heads and the mayor as providing essential services and going above and beyond the call of duty, city officials said. It is funded by federal COVID-19 relief funds.
Hurst was joined at Tuesday’s demonstration by Councilors Tracye Whitfield, Victor Davila and Kateri Walsh and by state Sen. Adam Gomez, D-Springfield. The firefighters wore red union T-shirts and marched as a group to City Hall.
Whitfield questioned “the audacity” of Sarno in his treatment of the merit pay issue for firefighters, who she said “put their lives on the line, put their families’ lives in danger.”
“I’m a little disgusted that I have to be here because of the bargaining that has been going on with the local firefighters union,” Whitfield said. “We’re not here for antics or political pawn as the mayor would put in his written press release. We are here because this is where we are supposed to be. We are supposed to be here fighting for these firefighters. At the drop of a dime, they fight for us.”
Davila also praised the service of firefighters under the added strain of COVID-19.
“Mr. Mayor, in the name of public safety, in the name of honor, duty and sacrifice, I demand respect for the firefighters,” Davila said. “The firefighters are receiving a gift. They are being compensated for their exposure to danger, again in this case, COVID-19.”
Walsh said firefighters defend people’s homes, and that their right to protest is protected by the U.S. Constitution. The word “antics” means being foolish, but “there is nothing foolish” about standing up for firefighters, she said.
“I see this as a fairness issue,” Walsh said.
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