`Trustees approve three-year pact with firefighters; wages going up`

Brookfield board of trustees Monday approved a three-year contract with International Association of Fire Fighters Local 3443.

The previous contract expired Dec. 31.

Fire Chief Keith Barrett — who is not a member of the union — and union president Capt. Dave Coffy said the six firefighters in the union will get a 67 cents-an-hour raise the first year, 72 cents the second year, and 78 cents the third year.

The hourly wage for 1999 is $8.37. Brookfield firefighters work an average of 56 hours a week. Under the new contract, uniform allowance went up $50 from $450 to $500, and emergency medical tech-nician wages are up $150 from $350 to $500 a year, Barrett said.

The firefighters will also get the same rate of longevity pay as the police. Firefighters who have been with the department for three years will get $200 a year; those with the department five years will get $300 a year; 10 years, $450 a year; 15 years, $575 a year; 20 years, $725; and 25 years $875.

As part of the new contract, the firefighters will be subjected to three random drug tests a year, Coffy said.

Trustee J. Philip Schmidt said the Brookfield fire department is the second busiest in Trumbull County and also the lowest paid.

“I think our workers ought to be commended for not taking us over the coals on the contract,” Schmidt said.

In a letter to the board of trus-tees, Coffy thanked everyone in-volved with negotiations for the pleasant manner in which the con-tract was resolved.

On Monday, trustees set a meet-ing for 6 p.m. Jan. 13 to discuss part-time firefighters’ wages.

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Updated January 5, 1999
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