Merrimack Valley

North Andover librarian and public works unions agree to no raises this year

By Crystal Bozek
cbozek@eagletribune.com
Published: November 19, 2008

NORTH ANDOVER — Public works employees and librarians will see no raises this fiscal year, after settling two-year union contracts with the town this week.

The two unions had been working without contracts since June 30, 2007.

Selectmen voted on the contracts, which cover July 2007 to June 2009, at their Monday night meeting, citing tough economic times and uncertainty over state aid.

While the board did not give the unions a raise for the fiscal year covering July 2008 to June 2009, they did agree to a retroactive 21âÑ2 percent raise for the fiscal year covering July 2007 to June 2008.

Selectmen said that is consistent with the raises other municipal employees received during that time period.

"The employees understand what we're up against, townwide, statewide, nationwide," selectmen's Chairman Rosemary Smedile said. "We're taking it one step at a time. ... Town employees certainly stepped up and we're grateful."

"I'm sure we'll have a grateful community as well," she added.

The pacts come in the same week that the School Committee is set to vote on a proposed 1.9 percent increase for teachers for 2008-2009. The committee meets Thursday night at 7:15 in North Andover High School's lecture hall.

Selectmen have said they do not support the teachers' raise.

"We appreciate the hard work teachers do, but we don't believe we can sustain that number," Smedile said. "With the steep increase in health insurance and the cutbacks, we didn't think this was the right time. We hope the School Committee and teachers agree as well."

Town Manager Mark Rees said the town is still negotiating contracts with the Police and Fire departments. He would not say whether the town was pushing for no increases during these negotiations, only saying, "The pattern speaks for itself."

"We have been very pleased with the unions' response to our current budget situation," Rees said, calling the library and DPW unions "team players."

Contracts typically cover three years.

However, the town and schools have been settling one- and two-year contracts that expire in 2009, hoping they will have a solution to their skyrocketing health insurance costs by then.

The town formed an Insurance Advisory Committee to work on a comprehensive review of its health insurance benefits. The town pays 85 percent of the insurance premiums for unionized employees.

They are looking at shifting the percentage and possibly joining an alternative health plan like the state's Group Insurance.

From 2001 to 2006, insurance costs in North Andover jumped 214 percent. State rates increased by 98 percent.