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Havre City Council approves collective bargaining agreement with firefighters

Havre City Council members unanimously voted to ratify a collective bargaining agreement with the Local 601 International Association of Firefighters Monday night.

All five council members present voted in favor of the agreement that will last until June 30, the end of the fiscal year.

Council members Terry Lilletvedt, Brian Barrows and Matthew Boucher were on excused absences.

Some changes were made in the 14-page-long agreement.

All probationary firefighters, firefighters, first class firefighters, driver-operators, engineers and captains will see a 2 percent increase in their base pay.

The text of the agreement says that pay for each of those positions is decided using a matrix system, with a base salary that increases with years of service.

Mayor Tim Solomon said the city will also cover the increase in health insurance premiums for this fiscal year.  

Another change in the agreement will be that each employee will receive a payment of $250 twice a year for repairing and replacing uniforms.

New hires will receive a $650 allowance on the initial date they are hired and after a year will receive a prorated allowance calculated to the nearest semi-annual allowance date.

Previously, employees would receive one yearly allowance of $500.

Finance Director and City Clerk Doug Kaercher said Wednesday the adjustment was made in prorated allowance for employees so the city would lose less money if an employee resigned or retired before the end of the year.

In other business, the council unanimously approved the reappointment of Gerry Grabofsky for a two-year term on the board of the Havre City-County Airport.

 

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