City Reaches Labor Agreement with Engineers

Haverhill City Hall. (WHAV News file photograph.)

A tentative, retroactive collective bargaining agreement between the City of Haverhill and employees from the engineering group, Teamsters local 170, will head to the city council for its approval.

A memorandum of understanding and salary ordinance will be placed on file for 10 days during Tuesday’s council meeting before a formal vote is taken. Under the two-year agreement, retroactive from July 1, 2012 to June 30, 2014, the positions of junior draftsperson, senior engineering aide and assistant civil engineer will receive a 1.5 percent salary increase each year, a travel mileage reimbursement rate increase to 44 cents per mile in the second year, and revise health insurance language for co-payment reimbursements, to reflect the city’s joining the state Group Insurance Commission (GIC) plans, offered by the Public Employee Commission (PEC), since the previous contract agreement.

Also on Tuesday’s council agenda, a public hearing is scheduled on a petition for a special permit for a 10-vehicle, used-car dealership on leased property at 7-9 East Broadway, off Groveland Street. However, while the city’s Conservation Commission has offered no objections following review of a similar property proposal last May, Economic Development and Planning Director William Pillsbury requests the council postpone the hearing until Tuesday, Jan. 20. According to council documents, he is seeking additional input on the proposal from other city departments.

The Haverhill City Council meets at 7 p.m., Tuesday, in council chambers at Haverhill City Hall.