Brookfield firefighters get new contract

From the Riverside-Brookfield Landmark:

It took almost a year for Brookfield police and the village to finalize a new contract after their previous agreement expired at the end of 2012. However, reaching a deal with the firefighters was far smoother. On December 9, village trustees unanimously approved a three-year agreement, just three weeks before the current contract was set to expire.

Village Manager Riccardo Ginex described the relationship between the village and the firefighters as "extremely professional," noting that it's much improved from years past. He referenced an earlier period when firefighters reluctantly accepted a one-year pay freeze in 2010 to avoid layoffs. This decision led to a shift in union representation—from the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) to the International Association of Firefighters (IAFF).

In 2011, the two sides negotiated a three-year contract that restored pay increases but also required firefighters to contribute more toward health insurance premiums. The latest agreement, which expires on December 31, 2016, keeps the health insurance contribution at 15% and includes base pay raises of 2.5%, 3%, and 2.5% over the three years.

Additionally, the contract includes step raises for firefighters during their first six years of service, significantly boosting their salaries beyond the base raise percentages. For example, a firefighter starting on January 1, 2014, would earn $56,054. With step raises, their salary would jump to $61,697 in 2015—a 10% increase—and then to $69,961 in 2016, a 13.4% raise. By the end of the contract, a firefighter in their sixth year would make $87,239. Compared to their starting salary of $54,526 in 2010, this represents a 60% total raise over six years.

After six years, firefighters no longer receive step raises and are only eligible for base pay increases. A starting lieutenant as of January 1, 2014, would earn $90,058. Lieutenants receive step raises for two years after being promoted, so by January 1, 2016, they would earn $100,325—a 11.4% increase. After that, they only get base pay raises.

A key change in the contract, requested by the union, is a provision that prohibits firefighters from working as firefighters or paramedics outside of their duties in Brookfield. The stated purpose is to prevent job-related injuries while moonlighting, though the village would still be responsible for disability benefits in such cases.

Ginex noted that the IAFF also hopes to see all fire departments in the state use full-time firefighters instead of paid-on-call personnel.

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