Chapter Chair Jennifer Reynolds reports that Amherst Town Employees settled a new 3-year contract for 68 members. Workers won 2% each year, raised their Hazmat/EMD stipend, increased the boot allowance, expanded sick time to nontraditional household members, and many more gains.

"They were actually looking to cut our sick time. Who in their right mind would give up their sick days?" said Reynolds.

The MOU contains the following highlights:

• All custodial maintenance staff are now considered essential personnel and must report to work when called. In the case of a weather related closure, maintenance personnel who are called in to work early or on time are guaranteed to be paid for their regularly scheduled shift, plus any overtime. They will not also get call in pay. The point here is that they won’t lose any pay by coming in to shovel or clear sidewalks, and they should be given enough work for their entire shift.
• Sick leave- defines what sick leave can be used for, and provides a waiver process for non-traditional family member outside of the household. Also if an employee runs out of sick leave they have to use other forms of accrued leave before entering no pay status.
• Overtime pay for working a holiday is limited to the holiday itself, not the day observed if different.
• Bereavement leave now allows for extension of time off by using accrued personal vacation or comp time in addition to bereavement time.
• Personal Days for new hires: hired 7/1-10/31 get 3 days for fiscal year; 11/1-2/29 get 2 days for fiscal year, 3/1-6/30- get one day for fiscal year
• One free Town Center parking permit per employee, upon request. Each additional one =$25
• Dispatchers will be notified Sept one of each year of availability of clothing to be ordered
• $125 boot and clothing allowance for Parking Enforcement Officers, Inspectors, maintenance staff, Land Management Assistant, Wetlands Administrator
• New $25/day training stipend for training new hires using Department Head approved training curricula for APCO certified dispatchers and Lead PEO.
• $50 per year incremental increase for dispatchers for EMD/Hazmat certification ($150 increase over life of contract)
• New position created- Lead Inspector in new Level I
• 3 year contract with 2% COLA each July 1