Medford council approves salary hikes for more than 150 city workers (copy)
Published 4:30 pm Tuesday, May 9, 2023
- The pay increases for Medford city workers will keep salaries competitive, with many of them taking effect in July.
Medford City Council unanimously approved salary hikes May 4 totaling more than $4 million over the next four years for 158 city workers.
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Partially driven by inflation, the increases will also keep salaries competitive, with many of them taking effect in July.
Councilor Tim D’Alessandro said the increases are driven by market forces.
“It’s a tough environment,” he said.
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Traffic signal electricians received the largest increase this year of 13.5% after the city did a study that found the workers in this category were paid 22% below the current market rate. They will receive hikes of 8.5% in 2023 and 3% in 2024.
In addition to the lower-than-market salaries, the city also is contending with a nationwide shortage of electricians.
As part of the new contracts, the city will continue to pay the entire amount for health insurance, which is about $1,928 a month per employee.
According to the city, this is the lowest-cost plan.
The various salary deals come after months of negotiations between city officials and the unions representing the employees, including the International Association of Firefighters and Teamsters Local 223.
The traffic signal electricians are part of Local 223, which represents 41 Public Works employees.
Other workers in Public Works who maintain roads, sewers and storm drains will receive salary hikes of 11% this year, 6% in 2023 and 3% in 2024. The salary hikes are partially a response to a more competitive environment.
“We found these folks were way under market,” said Bonnie Barasch, city human resources director.
An analysis showed Public Works employees’ pay was 15% lower than the market rate.
The city expects the cost of the Public Works salary hikes to total $1.2 million over the three-year period.
In addition to the salary hikes, some of the city workers represented by the two unions will also receive cost-of-living increases of up to 5% in a given year depending on the Consumer Price Index.
The 73 employees in the firefighters’ union will receive salary hikes of 7% this year, followed by 5% in 2023 and 4% in year three.
The salary increases will cost the city $2.3 million over the three-year period.
The six-worker crew that maintains city vehicles, including fire trucks and police cruisers, will get a 5% cost-of-living increase in 2024, followed by increases of up to 5% in the 2024 and 2025, depending on the Consumer Price Index.
The 21 employees in parks and facilities maintenance will also receive cost-of-living increases. In 2023, they get a 5% hike, followed by up to 5% increases in years 2024 and 2025, depending on inflation.
The city has budgeted $305,491 for the increases.
The 17 workers who deal with reclaiming wastewater also will get cost-of-living increases of 5% in 2023, followed by up to 5% increases in 2024 and 2025.
“These are the folks that as Brian (Sjothun) said keep our toilets flushing,” said Barusch. Sjothun is the city manager.
The city expects it to cost $283,490 to pay for the workers in the Wastewater Reclamation Division.
Another salary deal with the American Federation of State, County and Municipal employees will come before the council in the near future.
The most recent proposal calls for a salary increase of 4% in 2023, when the current contract runs out, and a 5% cost-of-living increase. This would be followed in 2024 by a 3% salary bump and up to 5% increase depending on inflation, and then in 2025 by a 2% salary increase and up to 5% depending on inflation.
The AFSCME agreement was ratified April 26 by the bargaining unit.
The cost of this proposed salary negotiation would be just over $2 million.
If the council approves the contract, the total amount spent on salary hikes would amount to more than $6 million.