City reaches tentative contract agreement with fire department

City reaches tentative contract agreement with fire department

Zach White

The last of the city employee's renegotiated contracts is nearly finished.

Havre City Council member Andrew Brekke, who has also served as the city's negotiator, told the council at Tuesday's meeting that a tentative agreement has been reached.

Dave Sheppard, Havre's fire chief, said that it is largely the same as the contracts that have already been passed for other city employees in the Havre Police Department and Havre Public Works Department.

"Essentially they've tentatively agreed to a 3 percent increase, starting Jan. 1, 2011, " Sheppard said. "It's the same increase as the other two agreements. "

There are differences, specific to the fire department, in the proposed contract, mostly in dealing with holidays.

Sheppard said that firefighters had previously been given holiday pay when they were scheduled to work on a given holiday. Now they will receive a day off later, in exchange for working the holiday.

Brekke said that the difference in holiday compensation in that contract is the result of a difference in how firefighters work holidays.

"It's because they work different shifts than the other two departments do, " Brekke said. "They're not being paid any more but the wording is different. "

Now the city is waiting for the firefighter's union to meet and vote on the finalized wording of the proposed contract.

The last of the city employee's renegotiated contracts is nearly finished.

Havre City Council member Andrew Brekke, who has also served as the city's negotiator, told the council at Tuesday's meeting that a tentative agreement has been reached.

Dave Sheppard, Havre's fire chief, said that it is largely the same as the contracts that have already been passed for other city employees in the Havre Police Department and Havre Public Works Department.

"Essentially they've tentatively agreed to a 3 percent increase, starting Jan. 1, 2011, " Sheppard said. "It's the same increase as the other two agreements. "

There are differences, specific to the fire department, in the proposed contract, mostly in dealing with holidays.

Sheppard said that firefighters had previously been given holiday pay when they were scheduled to work on a given holiday. Now they will receive a day off later, in exchange for working the holiday.

Brekke said that the difference in holiday compensation in that contract is the result of a difference in how firefighters work holidays.

"It's because they work different shifts than the other two departments do, " Brekke said. "They're not being paid any more but the wording is different. "

Now the city is waiting for the firefighter's union to meet and vote on the finalized wording of the proposed contract.