BILLERICA -- If the pope comes to town or the Red Sox win the World Series, and some town employees get the day off to celebrate, then by all means, those left to work should get an equal amount of time off.
Snow emergencies? Not so much.
A state arbitrator has sided with the town against the International Brotherhood of Police Officers Local 420, who required that they were wronged when then-Town Manager Richard Montouri denied a request to compensate officers who worked during a 2001 statewide snow emergency with time off.
The tale begins in 1979. Pope John Paul II was visiting Boston and all nonessential town employees were given the day off. The essential employees, feeling cheated out of a day off, stated that they should have been allowed to take the same amount of time off.
Subsequently, the following language was added to the police union's next contract: "Additional time off given to other Town employees other than by contractual agreement shall also be granted to Police Department personnel.
During a 2001 snowstorm that hit on March 5 and March 6, Gov. Paul Cellucci declared a state of emergency, and Montouri told certain town employees they did not have to report to work. About one-third of the employees did not work those days.
The union, which had not requested snow-related equal time off in the 20 years since the provision had been in the contract, asked for the time and was denied.
The town's stance was that the language in the contract was never intended to cover snow days, just special celebrations or holidays. The union disagreed.
"I agree with the Town that the language was not intended to apply to snow emergencies," arbitrator James F. Kelley of the state Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development wrote in his decision.
"Both parties agreed that the precipitating event for this proposal was the visit of the Pope in 1979, a unique type of event. Alas, snow emergencies in New England are not."
"I believe that the 'Pope Day' concept could, and should, extend to days off given to town employees to celebrate victorious Patriots or Red Sox, for example, but not to snow emergencies," he added.
Posted by: mikemac64
Why are people being given time of to go to Red Sox parades or see the Pope? Shouldn't they use vac days or something?
Posted by: Robert35
They will call you out for a Full Pop when they need you but don't ask for anytime that could be owed to you.
Posted by: Irish Wampanoag
?????OK
What happens if I am Jewish do I still get a day off to see the pope!!!
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