By DAN TOMASELLO
LYNNFIELD — The Select Board recently approved four different memoranda of understanding (MOUs) with four different unions during two separate meetings.
Select Board Chair Dick Dalton said the new three-year contract with the Lynnfield Police Association (LPA) will allow police officers to receive a 3 percent raise in each year of the three-year contract.
“The annual cost of living increases are set at 3 percent in each of these three years,” said Dalton.
According to the MOU with the Lynnfield Police Association, “the extra money ($3) paid on the detail rate” from 6-8 a.m. will be eliminated in FY26.
“Premium rate detail hours will be extended from 7 p.m.-7 a.m. in addition to (the) existing time period,” the MOU with the Lynnfield Police Association states. “Upon use of a sick day, said officer will be ineligible from detail work until said officer presents themselves on duty, regularly scheduled or overtime. This can be assessed at the chief’s discretion and decisions are not precedent in setting.”
According to the MOU, the Lynnfield Police Association has agreed to “participate in the implementation process of body-worn cameras.”
The Select Board also unanimously approved the MOU with the Lynnfield Public Safety Dispatchers Association.
Similar to the pact with the LPA, Dalton said dispatchers will be receiving a 3 percent raise in each year of the three-year contract. He also noted that Christmas Eve has been added to the list of holidays.
“It addresses holiday pay rates for Dec. 24,” said Dalton.
Town Administrator Rob Dolan said during a different meeting that a memorandum of agreement (MOA) with AFSME Council 93, Local 3434 will award Department of Public Works staff members a 3 percent raise in each year of the three-year contract.
Dolan said a separate contract with AFSCME’s DPW custodians and bus drivers will give employees a 2.5 percent raise in the first year of the contract, and 3 percent raises in years two and three.
“Those were all in line not only with the direction of the board, but also an analysis we did with area communities that people are settling at,” said Dolan. “I want to thank the unions for their cooperation.”
DPW Director John Scenna recently noted that the CBA with DPW employees includes incentives that encourage staff members to “go out and get licenses outside of their job description.”
“If you are a truck driver, there are now incentives to go get a license to operate equipment and be ready to make that next step,” said Scenna. “If we are going to create a structure that promotes from within, we want to make sure our employees are ready to make that next step. We want to groom them to be ready to go when that time comes.”
Dalton thanked Dolan and the negotiating team for finalizing the two MOAs with the two DPW unions. He also thanked the leaders of the unions for agreeing to the pacts early during the budget process.
“It’s important that we have stability in our financial condition,” said Dalton. “This is a positive step forward.”
Select Board Vice Chair Phil Crawford agreed.
“Thank you for the hard work on that,” said Crawford. “I appreciate you getting it done early in the process so we can move forward with our budget.”
After the discussion, the Select Board unanimously approved the two MOAs with the two DPW unions.
All four contracts will go into effect on July 1.
Dalton said the Select Board has settled collective bargaining agreements with five out of the seven unions on the town-side.
While the Select Board has made progress with settling contracts with unions on the town side, the School Committee is currently in collective bargaining negotiations with the Lynnfield Teachers Association (LTA).