Firefighters Union Collective Bargaining Agreement (July 2021 to June 2024) (PDF)

Collective Bargaining Agreement
between
Town of Waterford
and
Waterford Professional Firefighters Association
Union Local 4629 International Association of Firefighters
AFL-CIO
July 1, 2021 - June 30, 2024
GO tél Hd 91 350 1202

TABLE OF CONTENTS
ARTICLE X - GRIEVANCE PROCEDURE..
ARTICLE XI — ASSIGNMENTS ssssssssssssssssssasassessssssssustveavastssssvasssstsisuvssasssnnsecseesseesssanecsvens
ARTICLE XI = SENIORIL Y srssssssecsepsuessasexvesaseeneavaxsestasviecaseneanvacvasnonvesvaeteannsrerarareceant
ARTICLE XIII - HOURS OF WORK..
ARTICLE XIV — HOLIDAYS...........
ARTICLE XV — VACATION...
ARTICLE XVI — LEAVE.......... 13
ARTICLE-XVII — UNIFORMS visssesssssssessesnsssssesnestssizssenasnsevevsnses 17
ARTICLE XVIII - PROFESSIONAL EDUCATION SUPPORT. wl 8
ARTICLE XIX - COLLEGE EDUCATION INCENTIVE......... i l8
ARTICLE. XX — WAGES wccsmavsmnmannmennmanniin 19
ARTICLE XXI - RESERVED FOR FUTURE USE............ BA)
ARTICLE XXII - LONGEVITY PAY... ecescessestssssesseseeee rer Ad)
ARTICLE XXIII - INSURANCE AND RETIREMENT. aoe? |
ARTICLE XXIV - PERFORMANCE OF WORK ....escescsssesseeseeseeseeseesees v2
ARTICLE XXV - SAFETY COMMITTEE........ecssssssssssessesseseeseesessesssvens ands
ARTICLE XXVI - ONLY AGREEMENT... 2d
ARTICLE XXVII— DURATION ou. eescessesssesessessesseessssecsecscsucsucsscsucsssssessvcssessessvcsecansaneenss 23
SIGNATURE PAGE.
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PREAMBLE
The Parties to this Agreement are the Town of Waterford (hereinafter referred to as the
“Town” or “Employer’) and the Waterford Professional Firefighters Association Union Local
4629, IAFF, AFL-CIO (“Union”).
1.0
2.0
ARTICLE |
RECOGNITION
The Town recognizes the Union as the sole and exclusive collective bargaining
representative and collective bargaining agent of all full time Firefighters, Captains and
Fire Inspectors employed by the Town of Waterford with the exception of those positions
which would be excluded in accordance with the Connecticut State Board of Labor
Relations pursuant to the provisions of the Municipal Employee Relations Act, C. G. S
§ 7-467 et seq. As used throughout this Agreement, unless otherwise specifically noted,
the term employee refers to employees who are members of the recognized bargaining
unit.
ARTICLE Il
MANAGEMENT RIGHTS
The Employer shall continue to have, whether exercised or not, all of the functions of
management and shall have retained and reserved unto itself the right to exercise all the
powers, authority and prerogatives of management, except as specifically abridged or
modified by a specific provision in this Agreement, including, but not limited to, the
following items:
A. the operation and direction of the Fire Services;
B. the determination of the nature and level of services to be provided;
Cc. the direction, control, supervision and evaluation of all employees;
D. the establishment or change of job assignments;
E. the increase, change or discontinuation of operations in whole or in part;
F. the institution of technological changes;
G. the revising of processes, systems or equipment;
H. the alteration, addition or elimination of existing methods, equipment or facilities;
I. the determination of the location, organization, number and training of personnel;
J. the assignment of duties and work assignments;
K. the assignment of duty stations;
L. the scheduling and assigning of leaves;
1

2A
3.0
3.1
3.2
4.0
M. the hiring, appointment and promotion of all employees;
N. the demotion, suspension, discipline or discharge of employees for just cause;
O. the promulgation and enforcement of rules and regulations for the maintenance
of discipline, for the performance of work consistent with the requirements of the
Town as determined by the Director of Fire Services or his or her designee and
for the efficient and effective provision of fire service to the Town;
P. the Town recognizes its statutory obligation to bargain in good faith regarding the
impact of its exercising certain Management Rights set out in this Article.
Q. determination and interpretation of job descriptions.
In its sole discretion, and without incurring any bargaining obligation regarding its
decision to do so, the Town may utilize volunteers to perform fire service functions.
ARTICLE Ill
STRIKES AND LOCKOUTS
The Union agrees that neither the Union nor any of its officers, agents or members, nor
any employee covered under this Agreement, will call, institute, authorize, participate in
or sanction any strike, work stoppage, slowdown, sick out, sympathy strike, or refusal to
perform in whole or in part duties of employment, including upon termination of this
Agreement.
The Union agrees further that should any employee or group of employees covered by
this Agreement engage in any such job action, the Union shall disavow such activity,
refuse to recognize any such job action and will notify, in writing, such employee or
group of employees to terminate any such job action.
The Town shall not lock out employees during the life of this Agreement, including upon
termination of the Agreement.
ARTICLE IV
PROBATION
New bargaining unit employees shall serve a probationary period of twelve (12) months,
and shall have no seniority rights or grievance privileges during this period, but shall be
subject to all other clauses of this Agreement. All employees who have completed the
probationary period shall be considered regular employees, and the probation period
shall be counted in determining total seniority. Each new bargaining unit member will
be assigned to each station where bargaining unit members are then assigned for a
period of time at the discretion of the Director of Fire Services, but for no fewer than five
(5) shifts, prior to being assigned into a regular shift. If the new bargaining unit member
had been assigned to a station as a part time firefighter or volunteer firefighter
immediately preceding his/her full-time hire, the Director of Fire Services may waive the
five (5) shift requirement at that particular station.

4.1
4.2
5.0
5.1
6.0
7.0
A
New bargaining unit probationary employees may be disciplined or terminated at any
time during the probationary period without recourse to the grievance and arbitration
provisions of the Agreement.
Newly appointed Captains shall serve a probationary period of twelve (12) months.
During this probationary period, employee and/or Union may grieve an evaluation and/or
disciplinary action related to performance as a Captain, but have no right to submit such
grievance to arbitration.
ARTICLE V
NO DISCRIMINATION
All provisions of this Agreement apply equally to all employees, except in the case of
bona fide occupational qualification, without discrimination because the employee is a
veteran or because of the individual's race, color, religion, creed, age, sex, marital
status, national origin, ancestry, disability, membership or non-membership in the Union
or political activity or lack thereof.
It is the continuing policy of the Town and the Union to protect employees from
intrusions upon their privacy and offenses to their personal sensibilities. It is the
continuing policy of the Town and Union that no form of sexual harassment of one Town
employee by another shall be condoned or permitted to continue. Sexual harassment
shall be considered discriminatory under this provision. Employees are urged to report
any such trespass on their rights to the Director of Fire Services or his or her designee,
the Director of Human Resources or his or her designee or to the First Selectman. Any
employee found to have sexually harassed another will be subject to disciplinary action
up to and including dismissal.
ARTICLE VI
UNION SECURITY - AGENCY SHOP
During the term of this Agreement or extension thereof, all employees in the collective
bargaining unit shall have the option to either become or remain members of the Union
in good standing in accordance with the Constitution and By-Laws of the Union, or, in
lieu of Union membership, voluntarily pay to the Union a service fee which shall not be
greater than the amount of dues uniformly required of its members for the proportionate
cost of collective bargaining, contract administration and grievance adjustment in
accordance with the law.
ARTICLE VII
PAYROLL DEDUCTION
The Town agrees to deduct Union membership, initiation fees and weekly dues or
service fees from the pay of those employees who voluntarily, individually and in writing
authorize such deductions. The amounts to be deducted shall be certified to the Town by
the Treasurer of the Union, and the aggregate deductions of all employees shall be
remitted to the Union no later than the fifteenth (15'") of the next month following the
month which such dues and/or service fees were deducted.
In the event an employee receives no pay on the payday in which dues are to be
deducted, no deductions shall be made for that week.
3

7.2
7.3
8.0
8.1
8.2
8.3
8.4
8.5
When a member's dues are not deducted by reason of the conditions described in Sec.
7.1 of this Article, or by reason of an extended absence from the Department during
which time the member is not paid, and such member returns to active duty, the Town
shall reactivate and continue the deduction of the member’s dues.
The Union agrees to indemnify and hold the Town harmless against any or all claims,
demands, suits, or other forms of liability including attorney's fees and costs of
administrative or other hearings or proceedings that shall or may arise out of, or by
reason of, any action taken by the Town for purposes of complying with the provisions of
this Article.
ARTICLE VIII
UNION ACTIVITIES
The Union agrees that no union activities except as provided for in this Agreement shall
take place on the Town’s property during working hours.
Union members who are on duty may attend off-site Union meetings which are
otherwise held within Waterford, provided that they maintain complete readiness to
respond to dispatched calls and that their participation in any Union meeting will not
adversely impact daily operations of the fire service. Members may drive Town utility
vehicles to such meetings.
The Union President and/ or his/her designee shall be granted leave with full pay to
attend union sponsored seminars, provided that the Union President and/ or his/her
designee is scheduled on duty at the time of said union sponsored seminar, and further
provided that the total leave for the purposes set forth in this section shall not exceed
forty (40) hours in any fiscal year. All such leaves shall be requested at least one (1)
week in advance. In the event that two (2) members of the union intend to attend such
an event and the shift cannot be filled, only one (1) member may attend.
The Union President or his or her designee and one (1) other bargaining unit employee
will be allowed necessary time off with pay from duty for the purpose of negotiations but
will remain available for emergency response.
The Town will place a bulletin board in an accessible place for the exclusive use of the
Union.
The Town shall provide each employee and the President of the Local Union with a copy
of this Agreement. The Town shall also provide an electronic copy to the Union in the
format which is then in use by the Town for its normal business purposes.
Upon written request, directed to the Town Human Resources office, the Union may call
meetings at reasonable times in Town buildings before or after regular working hours
provided such meetings do not conflict with other scheduled activities or events.
The Union will provide the Town's Human Resources Director on or about July 1 of each
year, a list of Union officers and stewards. In the event the list changes between July 1 -
June 30, the Union will provide the updated list immediately to the Town’s Human
Resources Director.

9.0
9.1
9.2
9.3
10.0
10.1
10.2
10.3
ARTICLE IX
DISCIPLINE
No employee shall be discharged, terminated, demoted, suspended or disciplined in any
manner except for just cause.
Discipline of probationary employees shall be for just cause; however, determination of
just cause rests solely with the Town and shall not be subject to the grievance and
arbitration procedures of this Agreement.
Corrective and instructional interviews are not discipline and not subject to the grievance
and arbitration procedures of this Agreement.
Disciplinary actions should generally follow this order:
(a) Verbal warning;
(b) Written warning;
(c) Suspension; and
(d) Discharge.
It is mutually understood and agreed by the Town and the Union that deviation from the
above order for disciplinary actions may be warranted depending upon the totality of the
circumstances, including the severity of the infraction, its pervasiveness and the
employee’s history of discipline.
ARTICLE X
GRIEVANCE PROCEDURE
A grievance is a dispute between an employee (or the Union) and the Town involving the
interpretation or application of this Agreement.
Any employee may use this grievance procedure with or without Union assistance. An
employee utilizing this grievance procedure without Union assistance may do so only
through Step 2 of this Article. Only the Union may submit a grievance to arbitration.
No grievance settlement made as a result of an individually processed grievance shall
contravene the provisions of this Agreement.
A grievance shall be processed in the following three (3) steps.
Step 1. Any employee who has a grievance shall reduce the grievance to writing
and submit it to the Director of Fire Services within ten (10) working days
of the date of the occurrence, and the Director of Fire Services shall use
his best efforts to settle the dispute. The Director of Fire Services shall
submit his decision in writing to the aggrieved employee and the
employee’s representative, if any, within ten (10) working days of receipt
of the grievance.
Step 2. If the aggrieved and the aggrieved’s representative, if any, are not
satisfied with the decision rendered by the Director of Fire Services the
employee, or the employee’s representative, if any, shall submit the
5

10.4
10.5
10.6
10.7
10.8
10.9
10.10
grievance in writing within ten (10) working days, to the Town Human
Resources Director. Within ten (10) working days after receiving such
grievance, the Town Human Resources Director shall render his or her
decision in writing to the aggrieved employee and the employee's
representative, if any.
Step 3. If the Union is not satisfied with the decision rendered, the Union may,
within fifteen (15) working days, submit the grievance to the Connecticut
State Board of Mediation and Arbitration (CSBMA), with written notice to
the Town, and the decision rendered by the arbitrator(s) shall be final and
binding upon both parties. Any grievance dealing with discipline of less
than ten (10) days suspension may upon mutual agreement of the parties
be arbitrated under the expedited rules of the Board. In lieu of arbitration
before the Connecticut State Board of Mediation and Arbitration, either
party may transfer discipline or non-disciplinary discharge cases to the
American Arbitration Association (“AAA”) provided however, that if the
discipline involves less than a ninety (90) day suspension, the expenses
of AAA shall be borne by the moving party and provided further that if the
discipline is greater than or equal to a ninety (90) day suspension
(including termination or a non-disciplinary discharge), the expenses of
AAA shall be shared equally by the Town and the Union. When either the
Town or the Union seeks to move a matter to AAA, the moving party shall
provide notice of the transfer within five (5) working days of the transfer.
Under no circumstances shall a case be transferred to AAA after the
CSBMA has scheduled such case for arbitration, unless by mutual
agreement of both parties.
The mediation services of the State Board of Mediation and Arbitration may be used in
the third step of this procedure provided both parties mutually agree on the desirability of
this service.
If either of the parties related to the grievance process desire to meet for the purpose of
oral discussion, a meeting shall be requested and scheduled.
Time extensions beyond those stipulated in this grievance procedure may be arrived at
by mutual agreement of both parties concerned and submitted in writing. The failure of
management to respond to grievances within the time limit set forth above shall
constitute denial of said grievance.
Either party shall have the right to employ a public stenographer at arbitration and shall
provide copies of the transcript to the other party at no cost and also to the arbitration
panel if requested to do so.
The Fire Union shall be entitled to submit grievances in the name of the Fire Union in the
same manner as is provided herein for employees.
At its own expense and consistent with the terms of this Article, the Union shall have the
right and choice of representation whenever representation is desired.
Working days, as set forth in this Article, shall mean Monday through Friday, excluding
Saturday, Sunday and holidays.

10.11
10.12
11.0
12.0
12.1
The jurisdiction and authority of the arbitrator and his opinion and award shall be
confined to the interpretation and/or application of the provisions of this Agreement at
issue between the Union and the Town. He or she shall have no authority to add to,
detract from, alter, amend or modify any provision of this Agreement. The arbitrator shall
not have jurisdiction to hear or decide more than one (1) grievance without the mutual
consent of the Town and the Union. The written award of the arbitrator on the merits of
any grievance adjudicated within his jurisdiction and authority shall be final and binding
on the aggrieved employee, the Union, and the Town. The standard of proof in all cases
shall be a preponderance of the evidence.
An arbitrator shall not have jurisdiction to hear or decide (i.e., grievance shall not be
arbitrable) a claim of discrimination which has been filed in State or Federal Court and/or
with a state or federal agency or commission including, but not limited to, the
Connecticut Commission on Human Rights and Opportunities (CHRO) OR Equal
Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC).
The Union president or his designee shall be afforded time while on duty for the purpose
of investigating and adjusting grievances without loss of pay. Approval of the Director of
Fire Services or his designee must be secured before any such on duty activities take
place. Such approval shall not be unreasonably withheld. The Town’s decision
regarding this section will not be subject to the provisions of the Grievance and
Arbitration Article of this Agreement.
ARTICLE XI
ASSIGNMENTS
Assignments will be made by the Director of Fire Services or his or her designee. The
Director of Fire Services may consider employee requests when making assignments to
the extent such requests are consistent with providing the highest level of efficient and
effective fire service to the Town.
ARTICLE XIl
SENIORITY
Seniority shall be defined as continuous length of service in the bargaining unit from the
date of hiring; provided, however, there shall be no loss in seniority for vacation time,
sick leave, temporary layoff, suspension, authorized leaves of absence, or call to military
service for the duration.
Seniority shall be lost and the employee terminated if: (a) the employee quits; (b) the
employee is discharged, which is not reversed through the grievance procedure or law;
(c) a laid off employee, not working for the Town, is not recalled within two (2) years; (d)
an employee, without authorization, fails to return at the expiration of a leave of absence,
including an unpaid sick leave; (e) an employee is absent from work without
authorization for five (5) consecutive days; (f) the employee retires; or (g) the employee
fails to give notice of intent to return to work after recall within fourteen (14) calendar
days, or fails to return to work on the due date specified for recall, as set forth in the
written notice of recall. Notice of intent to return must be in writing and made to the
person authoring the notice of recall to which the employee is responding.

12.2
12.3
12.4
12.5
13.0
13.1
No fulltime employee shall attain seniority under this Agreement until the employee has
been continuously employed for a period of twelve (12) months as a full time
firefighter/fire inspector. During the probationary period the employee may be
disciplined and/or discharged by the Town without recourse through the grievance and
arbitration procedure. The Town shall provide the Union with the reason for the
discharge, if asked.
The Town has the absolute right, in its sole discretion to determine if a layoff will occur or
the work force will be reduced. The Town will provide the Union with as much notice as
is practicable if a layoff will occur or the work force will be reduced.
Layoffs shall be implemented in inverse order of seniority and recall will be implemented
in reverse of the layoff. The Town recognizes its obligation to bargain pursuant to
C.G.S. § 7-469 and 470 regarding subcontracting bargaining unit work.
In the event that furlough days must occur, no other personnel outside of the bargaining
unit may be paid, and/or compensated, in any way to fill the normal shifts left open by
Union employees.
The Employer shall be entitled to rely upon the employee’s last known address
according to its records. It shall be the employee’s responsibility to keep his current
address on file with the employer.
The Town shall maintain a seniority list for all bargaining unit employees which will
include each employee’s date of hire, classification and rate of pay. The Town will
provide the Union with an up to date list when requested to do so.
ARTICLE XIll
HOURS OF WORK
It is in the sole discretion of the Town to establish or modify shifts and staffing levels.
The Town may set or modify staffing levels with 14 days notice to the Union and
employees. Upon the request of the Union, the Town will engage in impact bargaining
regarding establishing or modifying shifts and staffing levels. The Town retains the sole
discretion to assign employees to particular stations and to change station assignments,
and such assignments and/or changes of assignments are not subject to impact
bargaining.
Normal shift hours are as follows:
Firefighters
and
Captains Sunday-Saturday (i.e, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week):
Firefighters and Captains shall work one (1) twenty-four (24) hour
tour, followed by forty-eight (48) hours off. Each twenty-four (24)
hour tour is comprised of the following two (2) shifts: a ten (10)
hour day shift (7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.), immediately followed by a
fourteen (14) hour night shift (5:30 p.m. to 7:30 a.m.).
Fire
Inspector Monday through Friday, eight (8) hours worked with one half hour
8

13.2
13.3
unpaid lunch from 7:30 AM to 4:00 PM each day or such other
time as set by the Director of Fire Services or his or her designee.
The work period for firefighters and Captains shall consist of twenty-eight (28) days and
shall comply with the Federal Fair Labor Standards Act, including, but not limited to,
Section 7(k) of the Act and the related regulations at 29 CFR §553.200 et seq. Overtime
shall be time and one-half (1 1/2) of an employee's regular hourly rate as established in
Article XX of the Agreement for any hours worked in excess of 212 hours in any 28 day
pay period.
Fire Inspectors working normal shifts as set out above in this Article will receive forty
(40) hours pay per week at their regular rate of pay and will receive pay at the rate of
one and one half (1 %) times their regular rate of pay for hours worked over forty (40)
per week consistent with this Agreement. Fire Inspectors called back to work shall be
paid for a minimum of four (4) hours at the rate of time and one-half.
There is no pyramiding or stacking of premium pay and/or overtime rates for Firefighters,
Fire Inspectors and/or Captains.
(a) Determination of whether an open shift/tour will be assigned is in the sole
discretion of the Town. When the Town, through the Director of Fire Services or
his or her designee, decides which open shifts/tours will be made available to
employees, the Director of Fire Services or his or her designee will solicit
volunteers from the appropriate bargaining unit classification by telephone, other
electronic means, or face-to-face communication.
This solicitation will be based on separate rotating, continuous lists for
Firefighters and Captains from which an employee maintains the primary spot on
the applicable list until he/she accepts an open shift/tour. Once the said person
accepts an open shift/tour they will then go to the bottom of the list, and the rest
of the employees on the list will rotate up one position on the list.
The employee has ten (10) minutes to respond to the documented request. If
there is no response from the employee, the request will be considered as a
refusal and the process may continue down the list as needed. If no bargaining
unit member accepts a Firefighter shift when initially offered, the Town shall then
offer the shift to part-time employees. Nothing herein shall prevent the Town
from ordering an employee to fill said shift and/or from assigning a qualified
bargaining unit employee(s) to a vacant shift during his/her regular work shift. If
no bargaining unit Captain fills an overtime assignment or open shift/tour, the
Director will assign a qualified, bargaining unit Firefighter from the platoon to
serve in an Acting Captain capacity. As an Acting Captain, the Firefighter shall
be paid an additional one dollar ($1.00) per hour for all hours actually worked.
To be qualified to serve as an Acting Captain, a Firefighter must have at least
five (5) years of experience as a firefighter and NIMS/ICS 300 certification.
Employees are responsible for providing reliable contact information to the
Director of Fire Services. If an employee does not do so, and the Town cannot
make contact due to non-updated information, it will be considered a refusal.

13.4
13.5
13.6
13.7
Hours/shifts other than those that are part of regular twenty-four (24) hour tours
may first be offered to part-timers.
(b) When a “hold-over” situation is necessary to cover the beginning of a subsequent
shift and has been an approved through the Director of Fire Services, the
rotational list, does not need to be utilized to solicit the Firefighters already
working at the affected station.
(c) A separate Special Overtime list will be utilized for special assignments that may
not be categorized as the normal filling of vacant shifts. These types of
assignments may be short in duration and may include conducting or attending
training during nonscheduled hours, fire watch, or other special assignments that
would be delegated to the employee by the Director of Fire Services. The
solicitation of volunteers from the bargaining unit and the rotating list will follow
the same language as above.
(d) The Director of Fire Services in his/her discretion otherwise may mandatorily call
back full-time Firefighters and/or Captains for the purpose of manpower to assist
on scene or cover stations due to a major incident including, but not limited to,
structure fire, rescue incidents, mass casualty incidents, natural disaster and
major storms.
Designation of employee on-call responsibilities are within the Town’s authority
referenced in Article II of this Agreement. If the Town in its sole discretion modifies the
policy it shall notify the Union and if requested to do so within seven (7) days of such
notice, engage in impact bargaining.
Work for which the Town is paid by a third party may, in the sole discretion of the
Director of Fire Services or his or her designee, be assigned to employees. Such
assignments if made will be done in order of seniority with bargaining unit employees
from the appropriate classification being given the opportunity to volunteer for the
assignments. If sufficient employees do not volunteer for such assignments the Director
of Fire Services or his or her designee may mandate such assignments from the
appropriate classification in order of reverse seniority.
Employees will be paid holiday, sick and other paid leave in a manner consistent with
the pay system referenced in Section 13.2 of this Article. For example if there is one (1)
holiday in a pay week the firefighter employee will receive ten (10) hours pay for that
holiday.
Shift Swaps. Employees may swap shifts provided:
(a) Such swap occurs within the same 28-day period;
(b) Such swap does not impose additional costs on the Town. Further, the Town is
authorized to deduct from the wages of the employee granted such shift swap
any associated costs.
(c) The Director of Fire Services is provided reasonable notice, normally in excess of
one (1) week and the Director then provides employee prior approval of the swap
by written or electronic means.
10

14.0
14.1
14.2
14.3
(d) The Town reserves the right to approve or deny any request for a shift swap, and
the same shall not be subject to the grievance procedures. If a swap is denied,
the employee shall be afforded a right to a meeting with the Director of Fire
Services to plead their case for the requested shift swap.
(e) The Town will not be responsible for enforcing agreements made between
employees.
ARTICLE XIV
HOLIDAYS
Paid Holidays. The following holidays shall be paid:
New Year's Day Labor Day
Martin Luther King Day Columbus Day
Presidents’ Day Veterans’ Day
Good Friday Thanksgiving Day
Memorial Day Friday After Thanksgiving
Juneteenth Christmas Day
Independence Day
Firefighters and Captains shall receive ten (10) hours of straight time pay for each
holiday. Fire Inspectors shall receive eight (8) hours of straight time pay for each
holiday.
For Fire Inspectors, in accordance with the practice of the State of Connecticut, holidays
falling on a Saturday, shall be celebrated on the proceeding Friday. Holidays falling on a
Sunday, shall be celebrated on Monday.
For Fire Inspectors, in order to be eligible for the aforementioned holidays, an employee
must work the scheduled day before the holiday, and the scheduled day after the
holiday, unless excused by the Director of Fire Services or unless prevented from
working by sickness or accident, proof of which must be submitted if requested by
Supervision.
(a) Fire Inspectors are not expected to work on listed Holidays. Fire Inspectors will
only work on listed Holidays pursuant to any emergent matter involving the
provision of fire service to the Town and such work must be approved by the
Director of Fire Services or his or her designee. Any Fire Inspector who does
work a listed holiday shall receive one and one half (1 %) times regular pay for
hours he/she actually works on the holiday, and two (2) times regular pay for
hours he/she actually works on Thanksgiving or Christmas.
(b) Firefighters are regularly scheduled to work on holidays. Any Firefighter who
actually works on the day shift of a tour on a holiday will receive one and one half
(1 %) times regular pay for the hours he/she actually works on the holiday, up to
ten (10) hours. Each employee who actually works the day shift of a tour on
Thanksgiving or Christmas will receive two (2) times regular pay for hours he/she
actually works, up to ten (10) hours.
11

14.4 Assignment of work on any holiday will be done in the same manner as set out in
Section 13.3 of this Agreement.
ARTICLE XV
VACATION
15.0 Employees hired before July 1, 2017 shall earn vacation leave at the base rate on the
following basis:
1st year, 2"4 year, 3 year, 4"" year employment = one hundred (100) hours earned;
Five (5) years of employment = one hundred fifty (150) hours earned;
Six (6) years of employment = one hundred sixty (160) hours earned;
Seven (7) years of employment = one hundred seventy (170) hours earned;
Eight (8) years of employment = one hundred eighty (180) hours earned;
Nine (9) years of employment = one hundred ninety (190) hours earned;
Ten (10) years of employment = two hundred (200) hours earned;
Fifteen (15) years of employment = two hundred twenty (220) hours earned;
Twenty (20+) years or more employment = two hundred fifty (250) hours earned
Employees hired on or after the ratification date of July 1, 2017 shall earn vacation leave
at the base rate on the following basis:
1% year, 2"4 year, 3 year, 4'" year employment = one hundred (100) hours earned;
Five (5) years of employment = one hundred fifty (150) hours earned;
Ten (10) years of employment = two hundred (200) hours earned;
Twenty (20) years of employment = two hundred twenty (220) hours earned.
15.1 Vacation Scheduling.
(a) Vacation leave periods may be scheduled throughout the calendar year,
consistent with an employee’s accumulation of vacation leave, in leave periods of
not more than one hundred fifty (150) consecutive hours. The Director of Fire
Services or his or her designee will schedule vacations based on the needs of
providing fire service to the Town and will, to the extent possible, consider
seniority.
Employees must provide seven (7) days advance written request for requests of
vacation leave of twenty-four (24) hours or less, and fourteen (14) days advance
written request for requests of vacation leave of more than twenty-four (24)
hours. In either case, the Director will grant said request if no other bargaining
unit member previously requested leave of any type during the same period. The
Director, in his discretion, may deny vacation requests based on the needs of
providing service to the Town. The Town shall be under no obligation to allow
more than 1 employee to be absent on leave on a shift. At his/her sole discretion
(and not subject to grievance process), the Director may grant a vacation leave
request of more than 24 hours made less than 14 days in advance.
(b) Regardless of seniority, an employee may not preempt a vacation period which
another employee has already been granted. An employee may change or
cancel a vacation period with prior approval of the Director of Fire Services or his
or her designee.
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15.2
15.3
15.4
15.5
16.0
Pro-Rata Accumulated Vacation.
(a) Pro-rata earned vacation pay shall be granted to an employee in the event
he/she terminates his/her service with the Town provided the termination is not
the result of gross misconduct or dishonesty.
(b) When a holiday occurs during a regular vacation period, said holiday shall not be
charged against the employee’s earned time.
Maximum Vacation Accumulation. The maximum number of vacation hours that may be
used during any anniversary year is three hundred (300). The maximum number of
vacation hours that may be carried over from anniversary year to anniversary year may
not exceed two hundred and fifty (250). Accumulated vacation leave in excess of two
hundred and fifty (250) hours on the 1% day of the anniversary month of hire will be
forfeited.
Segments. Vacations shall not be taken in segments of less than a half (1/2) shift.
Employee’s Death. In the event of an employee’s death, his or her prorated accumulated
vacation pay shall be paid to his or her surviving spouse. In the event the deceased
employee is not survived by a spouse said sum shall be paid to the employee's surviving
children in equal shares. In the event the employee is not survived by a spouse or
children, said sum shall be paid to the employee’s estate.
ARTICLE XVI
LEAVE
Earned Sick Leave.
(a) Employees shall be entitled to one hundred fifty (150) hours of sick leave with
pay during an anniversary year, cumulative to a maximum of one thousand five
hundred (1500) hours, to be earned at the rate of twelve and one-half (12.5)
hours per month. Employees hired on or after July 1, 2017 shall be entitled to a
cumulative maximum of one thousand two hundred (1200) hours.
(b) New employees, upon completion of the probationary period, shall be eligible for
sick leave computed from their date of employment.
(c) The Town reserves the right to require proof of illness or other uses of sick leave
as provided in this Agreement. Proof of sick leave shall include a doctor's
certificate or other reasonable verification available to the employee. The failure
of the Town to request proof of illness pursuant to this section shall not constitute
a waiver by the Town of this provision.
(d) Sick leave may not be taken in less than one-quarter (1/4) shift segments.
However, sick leave may be used in increments of one (1) hour, subject to the
operational needs of the Town, upon twenty-four (24) hours written notice, where
a reasonable request is submitted to the Director of Fire Services or designee. In
the administration of this benefit, the Town may provide reasonable
accommodations to qualified employees with a disability and to employees based
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16.1
16.2
(e)
on the need for family leave. The need for, or extent of, such accommodation
shall be determined by the Town in accordance with its interpretation of the
requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Family and Medical
Leave Act, even if such accommodations may be in conflict with other provisions
of this Agreement.
Paid sick leave will be granted only if the requirements of Section 16.8 are
complied with and the initial report of illness is made within the hour the
employee is scheduled to report to work. Extenuating circumstances will be
considered by the Director of Fire Services or his or her designee and/or Human
Resources Office.
In the event of critical illness or severe injury or maternity in the immediate family
creating an emergency which requires the attendance or aid of the employee, as
much as one hundred fifty (150) hours leave with pay shall be granted within the
calendar year, and such leave shall be charged to either the employee’s regular
sick leave or vacation time. Any employee utilizing this leave is required to notify
his/her supervisor in writing of the use of such leave; failure to designate
appropriate use of such leave may result in disciplinary action.
Sick Leave Recognition: The Town provides sick leave as a privilege to members of the
bargaining unit for specific illness or injury. The Town recognizes discretionary use of
sick leave as follows:
(a)
(b)
(c)
(a)
Upon death or termination of employment in good standing, an employee or
his/her estate shall be paid: Fifty percent (50%) of his/her accumulated sick leave
up to seven hundred fifty (750) hours, and seventy-five percent (75%) of his/her
accumulated sick leave over seven hundred fifty (750) hours (one thousand four
hundred hours maximum) provided he/she has accumulated a minimum of six
hundred (600) sick leave hours.
For employees hired on and/or after January 1, 2015, upon death or termination
of employment, in good standing, an employee or his/her estate shall be paid:
Fifty percent (50%) of his/her accumulated sick leave up to seven hundred fifty
(750) hours, (three hundred seventy-five hours maximum) provided he/she has
accumulated a minimum of six hundred (600) sick leave hours.
Death Benefit: In the event of the death of an eligible employee, funds due in
accordance with this section shall be payable to his or her estate.
Payment Computation: For the purposes of this section, per day pay shall be
computed as the employee's hourly salary rate on the date of resignation or
retirement, multiplied by the number of hours in the employee's regular work day.
Payment shall include fractional days payable as fractions.
Bereavement Leave.
Special leave, not to exceed fifty (50) hours with pay shall be granted an
employee in the event of a death of a spouse, mother, father, grandmother,
grandfather, child, grandchild, sister or brother.
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16.3
16.4
16.5
16.6
16.7
(b) Special leave, not to exceed thirty (30) hours with pay, shall be granted an
employee to attend the funeral and/or the memorial service in the event of the
death of a mother-in-law, father-in-law, sister-in-law, brother-in-law, aunt, uncle,
niece, and nephew.
(c) Special leave of ten (10) hours shall be granted an employee to attend the
funeral and/or the memorial service in the event of a death of the spouse’s
grandmother, grandfather, aunt, uncle, niece or nephew.
Jury Leave. Any employee who shall be required to serve on any state or federal jury
shall be paid the difference between the amount paid for such service and his/her
straight time rate, for up to a maximum of seven hundred fifty (750) hours, for the time
lost from his/her scheduled work by reason of such service, subject to the following
provisions:
(a) An employee must notify the Director of Fire Services or his or her designee
within forty-eight (48) hours after receipt of notice of selection for jury duty;
(b) An employee called for jury duty who shall be temporarily excused from
attendance at Court must report for work if sufficient time remains in the work day
to permit him/her to report to his/her place of employment and work;
(c) In order to be eligible for such payments, the employee must furnish a written
statement to the Director of Fire Services or his or her designee from the
appropriate public official showing the date and time served and the amount of
pay received.
Military Leave. The Town complies with state and federal law regarding military and/or
military training leaves.
Personal Leave. Each employee shall be entitled to forty (40) personal hours each year
of the contract without loss of pay, non-accumulative, for the purpose of transacting
personal business which cannot be carried out on the employee’s regularly scheduled
day off. Personal leave time may not be taken in lieu of sick days or vacation days. Any
employee wishing to take personal leave time shall request such leave at least one (1)
day in advance, with the reason given to the Director of Fire Services or his or her
designee. In cases of extreme emergency when such notice cannot be given, the
employee shall, upon request, supply a written statement of reasons. Personal leave
shall not be taken on days immediately after vacation leave, sick leave or holidays,
unless an emergency occurs for which it is necessary to use the personal day, provided
such use has been approved by the Director of Fire Services or his or her designee.
Leave of Absence. Employees shall be eligible for leave in accordance with the Family
and Medical Leave Act of 1993.
Workers’ Compensation
(a) Any employee who shall suffer personal injury while on the job and who shall be
eligible for payment under Workers’ Compensation, shall receive the difference
between his/her weekly pay and the compensation for a period of up to one (1)
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(b)
(c)
year from the date of injury, or until Workers’ Compensation payments cease,
whichever is sooner.
Until a determination is made as to the eligibility for Workers' Compensation
payments, absences shall be charged, at the employee's option, to accumulated
sick leave and or vacation time, leave without pay or disability leave, provided
eligibility requirements are met. Employee's time will be credited when
compensation becomes effective.
Notwithstanding the above, if the Town elects to advance pay before eligibility
determination is made, and the employee is thereafter found ineligible or the
employee’s eligibility is terminated for any reason, the deficiency shall be
charged at the employee's option to accumulated sick leave and/or accumulated
vacation leave. However, if an employee has not accumulated sufficient sick and
annual leave to cover the period of absence, the employee shall be considered
on leave with pay and shall be required to repay the Town for any salary
advanced while on leave with pay in the following manner:
Sick leave;
Vacation;
Personal Leave;
Incentives;
Fl
2
3
4
5 Wages
eeweate tar
16.8 Absence Requirements.
16.9
(a)
(b)
An employee is expected not to be absent from work for any reason without
making prior arrangements with the Director of Fire Services or his or her
designee. Unless prior arrangements are made, an employee who, for any
reason, fails to report for work, must make a sincere effort to immediately notify
Director of Fire Services or his or her designee of the reason for being absent. If
the absence is to continue beyond the first day, the employee must notify the
Director of Fire Services or his or her designee on a daily basis unless otherwise
arranged with the Director of Fire Services or his or her designee.
Any unauthorized absence of an employee from duty shall be deemed to be an
absence without pay and may be grounds for disciplinary action by the Director
of Fire Services or his or her designee. In the absence of such disciplinary
action, any employee who is absent for three (3) shifts or more without
authorized leave, may be deemed to have resigned. Such absence may be
covered, however, by the Director of Fire Services or his or her designee, by a
subsequent leave with or without pay where extenuating circumstances are
found to have existed.
The Town intends to provide light duty when constructive, existing work is available
within an individual's physical or mental capabilities and existing skills. The decision on
whether or not light duty exists and falls within an individual's stated restrictions and
capabilities is to be determined by the Town on a case by case basis. Light duty work
likely will be assigned during the day shift; for employees last working on the evening
shift, the Town will consider assigning light duty on the evening shift, but maintains the
discretion to assign to the day shift.
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16.10
17.0
17.1
17.2
17.3
When an employee returns to work after an approved, extended leave of absence the
Town shall allow one week time for said employee to complete OSHA required and all
other required trainings. This one week of time will not replace a firefighter’s shift.
Employees who, in the performance of their duties, are subpoenaed to testify in a court
hearing shall receive their full net pay, minus any witness fee received, for the time they
are required to be in court. This does not apply to any labor matters, including but not
limited to, grievance hearings, arbitration, or administrative hearings.
ARTICLE XVII
UNIFORMS
Employees will wear and use only Town approved and designated uniforms and
equipment while on duty. Such approval and designation will be consistent with
Department Regulations.
Shorts approved by the Director of Fire Services may be worn from Memorial Day to
Labor Day. In the event of unseasonable weather, the Director of Fire Services has the
right, in his/her discretion, to extend the period of time stated.
Clothing Allowance.
(a) Each employee shall be entitled to a clothing allowance per fiscal year against
which he/she shall have the right to requisition and receive all necessary uniform
items as required by the Town from vendor(s) selected at the discretion of the
Director of Fire Services. The Director of Fire Service will establish a uniform
clothing allowance requisition procedure, and shall have the right to restrict items
from an employee’s requisition which are not uniform items designated by the
Town.
(b) The Clothing Allowance for each employee (Firefighter, Captain and Fire
Inspector) for each fiscal year shall be nine hundred dollars $900.00.
(c) In lieu of the Clothing Allowance in his/her first year of employment, any new
employee hired shall receive the following from the Town:
1. Full Dress Uniform.
2. Work uniforms, including: three (3) work pants. Four (4) Class B button
down shirts (two (2) long sleeve and two (2) short sleeve). Four (4) tee
shirts (two (2) long sleeve and two (2) short sleeve). One (1) job shirt (i.e.,
sweatshirt), one (1) winter coat, and one (1) pair of work boots.
(d) Any employee promoted by the Town shall receive four (4) Class B button down
shirts (two (2) long sleeve and two (2) short sleeve), new badge(s), name/rank
plate striping on dress blues and associated items.
The Union Logo may be allowed to be worn on all apparel, provided the Union
purchases the logo, the Town directs where the logo may be placed/attached, and the
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17.4
18.0
18.1
18.2
18.3
18.4
19.0
Union places/attaches the logo in accordance with the apparel manufacturer
recommendations and/or safety requirements.
The provision, maintenance and utilization of uniforms and equipment will be done in
accordance with Department Regulations.
ARTICLE XVIII
PROFESSIONAL EDUCATION SUPPORT
Course reimbursement may be granted for courses and programs taken between fiscal
year dates of July 1 to June 30 and intended to enhance professional growth and
contribute to a more effective performance of duties, provided that enrollment in such
course is described in the published curriculum as focusing on firefighting or arson
investigation, approved in advance by the Director of Fire Services, and a grade of “C+”
or better is earned. Courses and programs must be approved at least fifteen days prior
to the start of the course. Request for reimbursement must be submitted by June 30 of
the fiscal year in which the course was taken, and reimbursement will be made within
thirty days following submission.
The Town will provide, per fiscal year, for reimbursement of up to $5,000 total for all
employees, on a first come, first served basis. The timing of the submission for
reimbursement, establishing that the employee received a “C+” or better, is the
determining factor for first come, first served.
Employees holding a valid certification for Fire Officer | shall receive a $250 annual
stipend. Such stipend shall not be added into the base pay of employees.
Employees holding a valid certification for Instructor | shall receive a $250 annual
stipend. Such stipend shall not be added into the base pay of employees.
Employees holding a valid certification for Incident Safety Officer — Fire Sup