The Tiverton Town Council recently ratified a Memorandum of Agreement with the firefighters’ union and approved all tentative agreed-upon provisions of a new three-year contract with the police union. In negotiations, town officials said the primary goal in coming up with new collective bargaining agreements was to bring salaries for both firefighters and police closer to comparable departments in surrounding towns.

The town and fire union reopened the existing three-year contract, which expires June 30, 2025, and created a Memorandum of Agreement for the coming year that pertains only to wages.

The agreement calls for a 10 percent salary increase for non-probationary [existing]  staff, over and above the 2.75 percent increase previously ratified, beginning July 1, 2024, through June 30, 2025.

It also ratifies a proposal to bring starting salaries for probationary staff to $52,000 annually, a 32 percent increase over the previous starting salary of $39,468.

“This will put them [probationary firefighters] in the right lane, so we could actually get recruits,” town administrator Chris Cotta said. “We still need to do something on retention. I think our council recognizes that, and we are working diligently with the union to…get to common ground.”

Cotta said negotiations for the new contract, which runs from 2025 to 2028, will begin immediately.

Fire Chief William Bailey said the increase in probationary staff salaries has resulted in some increased interest in Tiverton, with five probationary firefighters sworn in last month.

Lieutenant Nicholas Barboza, the local union’s president, said he considers the council’s action a “step in good faith from the town towards resolving the issues within the department,” and while 10 percent is a “step closer,” he said it does not yet make salaries for non-probationary firefighters comparable to other departments.

Police

Councilors also recently ratified the tentative provisions of a new three-year collective bargaining agreement for police officers, effective July 1, 2024, through June 30, 2027.

The contract creates a new rank structure and provides a six percent increase in salaries, effective July 1, for personnel in positions of first class and above.

Cost-of-Living increases for all positions are 3.5 percent in 2025 and two percent in 2026. Additionally, all union members will receive mid-year raises ranging from one to three percent annually for the contract’s duration.

“I do think it’s a fair contract,” Cotta said. “This should bring them up to par with their counterparts.”

Lieutenant Ryan Hubert, speaking on behalf of the union, said members were satisfied with the outcome of negotiations, noting that “we did achieve our goals of improving our quality of life and also getting the compensation we deserve.”