Board of Aldermen 6-10-2020 Page 7
Chairman Dowd
OK any other questions before we get going in Public Testimony? Seeing none, | will now take testimony in
favor of R-20-040. Is there anyone that would like to speak in favor?
TESTIMONY IN FAVOR - None
TESTIMONY IN OPPOSITION - None
TESTIMONY IN FAVOR - None
TESTIMONY IN OPPOSITION - None
Chairman Dowd
| will now close the Public Hearing on R-20-040. The next item for Public Hearing is R-20-041.
R-20-041 APPROVING THE COST ITEMS OF A COLLECTIVE BARGAINING AGREEMENT
BETWEEN THE MAYOR AND THE BOARD OF FIRE COMMISSIONERS OF THE CITY
OF NASHUA, NEW HAMPSHIRE AND LOCAL #789, INTERNATIONAL ASSOCATION OF
FIRE FIGHTERS FROM JULY 1, 2019 THROUGH JUNE 30, 2023 AND AUTHORIZING A
RELATED TRANSFER AND SUPPLEMENTAL APPROPRIATION
Chairman Dowd
Who from the City would like to present the City’s point of view on this?
Mr. Davidson
This is Chairman Davidson, | would ask and yield to the Chief and | will make comments afterwards, thank
you.
Fire Chief Brian Rhodes
Good evening everyone. Thank you for the opportunity to testify before you. No one knew we would be
facing the pandemic or the situation that we are in. | have faithfully served this City for over 33 years. And
in those 33 years it has never been a good time for the Fire Fighters. The Fire Fighters have historically —
well first let me back, full transparency. | have paid Union Dues for Local 789 for 29 % years. | no longer
pay any dues, | roll the fire trucks they ride on, | crawl down the hallways they crawl down, | do the Safe
Station calls they do today, that we started 3 % almost 4 years ago.
This contract negotiations was not easy. We did not roll over as a City, we did not roll over as a Fire
Administration. And there was some healthy dialogue along the way. The letter that you all received from
Fire Private Michael O’Brien, Jr. was very factual: extremely factual. The Fire Fighters of Local 789 are not
looking for parity with our brothers and sisters of the Nashua Police Department. They are looking to close
the gap. And that document that you got clearly is spelled out, the disparities and the differences between
all levels of both organizations. Now both organizations, and again, | am in no way, shape, or form
speaking against our Police Department, because we have the best Police Department in New England; we
have the best Fire Department in New England.
| didn’t want to bring this up at this point because it’s not really factual but | am going to because | think you
need to hear this as the Board of Aldermen. So the Management Study that you approved for our
Organization has been sidetracked a little bit. But through that process, the lead for Emergency Services
Consulting International, one of the things that they do is they look at our past studies and they look at our
past ISO ratings, which determines business insurance rates.
