Board of Aldermen 6-23-2020 Page 33
Alderman Jette
Yes, thank you. We have all received letters and e-mails from firemen, explaining how difficult their job is
and they are very compelling, well written letters and really drive home the point that they are trying to
make about the risks that they face in their jobs. But at the Budget Review Committee meeting | said that
certainly we should pay the firefighters fairly, we should pay all of our employees fairly. But the firefighters
are asking for a 3 72% increase per year for four years, which when you compound it, the actual cost to the
City is going to be 17% over those four years.
Now if that’s what it takes to pay the firefighters fairly then that’s what we ought to do. We ought to find
some way of coming up with that money. But at the Budget Review Committee meeting, you know, | said,
you know, | looked around at other comparable departments, the Manchester Fire Department, Portsmouth
Fire Department. And | saw that we are paying our firefighters more, much more than they pay theirs.
That’s true of Manchester Portsmouth, Concord. So the question is, certainly a cost of living increases
have only been — they have been under 2% for a number of years. So what the firefighters are asking for is
not just a cost of living increase, they are asking for raises. They are asking that in addition to the cost of
living, that their salaries go up.
Remember, we are not just talking about whatever the cost of living increase is. | mean every position has
a schedule of what people in that position are paid. And as they achieve longevity, the more years they
serve, they get an increase in pay in addition to the cost of living increase. As they get promoted, they also
get an increase in pay. When | look at what other Departments are paying and | see that we are paying our
people more than anyone else in the State, we are also paying our people more than what they pay in a lot
of the Massachusetts cities. We pay more than Worcester pays; we pay about the same as Lowell. We
don’t pay as much as Boston. But remember, those Massachusetts — the firefighters in Massachusetts
have to pay an income tax of 5%.
| came to the conclusion that our firefighters are being paid fairly. To say that they are not being paid fairly,
you’d have to say that the beginning point, the starting point, what they are getting paid now is much less
than fair, much less than what they should be paid. | just don’t see that the evidence is there to support
that. And of all the mail and e-mails that | got and | think you all got the same e-mails, these wonderful
letters about the job that the firefighters do, no one challenged me on whether or not we were the best paid
Fire Department in the State. In fact, some of the letters said just the opposite, that we were the best paid
and that’s why they came here. That we are the best paid, the best trained, the best equipped and so to
say that our firefighters are being unfairly compensated, that argument just hasn’t been made to me. No
one has presented any evidence to support that view.
Now if this agreement is not approved tonight, they will go back, there will be fact-finding and | think that’s
one of the roles of the factfinder is to look at what other Departments are paid. And if in fact we are not
paying our people appropriately, that can be brought out in the factfinding and | would, if | am wrong in what
| am saying, | will admit it and | will support the increase that they are looking for. But that case just has not
been made. So | cannot support this agreement as it is before us tonight.
Alderman Cleaver
Yes thank you very much Madam President. We are very, very fortunate to have this tremendous
firefighting professional group representing Nashua. Yes, we have the best in Northern New England and
the best comes with difficult price tags sometimes, that is to say, you have to pay for what you get. And
these guys do a great job, these men and women. |’ve seen them operate, they are well trained, they are
very professional and also morale is very, very important. And to maintain that morale, to maintain that
professionalism, to maintain the level of the best in Northern New England, we need to compensate them
reasonably and fairly. The negotiations are over. Negotiations were taking place for months and months
and months, negotiations are done. We are ready to get the contract done.
