After three years in limbo, Haverhill city councilors ratified the firefighters’ contract with the city last night.
The city and union reached the new agreement in early February, as WHAV reported. It will bring retroactive cost-of-living raises for each year, a one-time “special wage adjustment” this year and various stipend and shift differential increases.
Haverhill Firefighters Local 1011 President Tim Carroll thanked the council for its support and praised Mayor Melinda E. Barrett for her role in the negotiations.
“She was amazing in those meetings,” he said at last night’s council meeting. “She sat in on every meeting, which has never happened… It was a change that the city needed, and I’m thankful we were able to get this done very quickly.”
After being out of contract under former Mayor James J. Fiorentini’s administration for so long, Barrett said she is proud they reached an agreement within five weeks of her entering office.
Council Vice President Timothy J. Jordan pointed out that the contract only applies through June 30, and acknowledged that the city will be navigating a tighter budget during the next round of negotiations.
Haverhill firefighters will receive a raise of 1.75% for the year that began July 1, 2022 and 2% increases each for the next two years of the new contract plus a “special wage adjustment” in the current year of 3.25%. Raises and adjustments over the three-year period will cost $581,000. With other increases, the new contract costs an extra $1.2 million, which the Barrett administration said is already in the budget.
In other news, councilors postponed the hearing for an eight-unit residential development on Washington Street to March 19.
Attorney Robert D. Harb, representing Rob Landry of Four Points Property Management, said the developer would rather the entire council be present for the vote on the special permit, which requires eight of 11 members to say yes. Councilor Melissa J. Lewandowski was absent.