City Council approves funding for new firefighter contract

  Last Monday night, the City Council approved the funding necessary for a new three-year contract between the City of Revere and Revere Firefighters Local 926. The union has been without a new contract since July 1 of last year. The new contract calls for a three percent raise per year for firefighters, as well as several other financial incentives and changes to the previous contract.

  “We’ve been out of a contract since July 1, 2021; we came to an agreement between both parties and hoping that it can get through tonight,” Local 926 President Kevin O’Hara told the City Council.

  The City Council unanimously approved appropriating any money needed to fund the memorandum of agreement between the city and the union. The contract runs through June 30, 2024.

  New language in the contract requires union members calling in sick to do so by 6:45 a.m. on the day of their tour. It also includes increased compensation for fire watch duty and adds Juneteenth to the list of legal holidays for the union.

  The contract also provides new language for the retirement buyback of sick days for an employee who has a minimum of 50 sick days accrued by the date of their retirement. Those with 100 or less accumulated sick days receive $40 per day; those with 100-200 accumulated receive $40 per day for the first 100 and then $60 per day for days 101-200, and those with more than 200 accumulated sick days get $75 per day for sick days 201-300.

  The contract increases the clothing allowance from $1,000 to $1,200 per year for members who work a minimum number of shifts. Stipends were also increased by $500 per year for fire clerks, fire investigators, fire training officers and fire detail officers. The contract also includes updated compensation for hazardous duty pay, emergency medical certification, and NARCAN administration training.

  The contract is retroactive to July 1, 2021.