[Coops320]

What I am looking to get out of this thread for everyone is what do you think you have that is out standing! Do you get 20 weeks vacation or something outlandish like that...how did you negotiate that into your contract????cause the rest of us want to know!!
Also what is in your contract that you want to go away? Do you not get a lunch break? Do police officers get offered dispatch shifts before dispatchers? or anything horrible like that.
I would like to see this thread blossom into something that has potential to help other dispatchers when it comes time to negotiate contracts.
Maybe we can get a list of wages, benefits, vacation time and so on and how we negotiated them in contract. Hopefully others want this as much as I do, I know there is a wealth of information out there...speak up people.

 

[Coops320]

My department pay scale for dispatchers without holiday pay annually is as follows:

1st year 32,377.00
2nd year 33,510.90
3rd year 34,684.05
4th year 35,897.87
5th year 37,154.44
6th year 38,454.00
7th year 39,801.81
8th year 41,194.25

I think our pay scale is one of the highest in the area but we are not allowed to work road jobs or details. This pay scale did not happen until last year during the last negotiations where the first year pay was upped from 27k to 32k a year...nice job negotiator

Tuition reimbursement toward an undergrad degree is 3k a year with a grade of "C" or better with an extra 100.00 per class for books, 5k a year for post grad classes with 100.00 a year for books.

Starting vacation 2weeks payed up to 5 weeks after 20 years of service.

Work week is a 4 and 2 schedule. Supervisor works 5 and 2 Mon-Fri. Two dispatchers per shift.

I believe this is most of the information others will be looking for anyone have anything specific please ask, I would really like to get something like this rolling. I think dispatchers don't get the recognition they deserve. Also if anyone is uncomfortable leaving their department name...don't...I didn't, but if anyone would like to know let me know and i can email you...just don't want it on a post board.

 

[tomahawk]

My department starts at $13.96/hour for combined PD/FD plus a biannual holiday check. 4-and-2 schedule; part timers are offered open shifts first, then to the FT dispatchers for OT. Force-in list made up of full time dispatchers. We are officially in the FD union, contract negotiations just started with the town. 2 weeks vacation, probably about 3 weeks sick time per year to start.

-Mike

 

[Coops320]

what union is your fire department part of and how did you get into it...out FD union wants nothing to do with us and neither does the PD union.
Our sick time is 1 1/4 sick days per month accumulated for ever. at the end of your career the town will only buy back 120days of sick time so you have to use the rest weather you are sick or not. If you don't mind what are you negotiating for on this contract, keep my updated if possible, it is nice to be able to go into negotiations armed with knowledge of the neighboring towns.

 

[2-Delta]

With 12 hour shifts 4 on 3 off gives us 49 hrs a week, so with overtime after 8 at $18.41/hr base we make out pretty well

 

[tomahawk]

Coops, we are part of their IAFF local. We work in the police station, but dispatch both police and fire. I was not employed here when the first steps were taken to go union, but we do have a good relationship with the PD and the FD; if your unions do not want to help, I guess going off on your own is the best thing to do.

I am not directly involved, so I do not know the specifics, but it is for the usual benefits -- shift differential, college degree, stipend positions, shift bidding, etc.

-Mike

 

[Coops320]

The problem I find in my Dispatch department is that most everyone wants money and not benefits....baffling to me. When I brought up Unions more than half wanted nothing to do with paying Union dues. They like the idea of us negotiating our own contract...I like negotiating but not without legal protection, I don't want to say something in negotiations and have the hammer of wrath come down on me because the Chief or Town Manager didn't like what I was fighting for. I also brought up the idea of internally collecting money for a war chest...nothing extreme but 5-10 bucks a week for a lawyer if need be...again they don't like giving up money for protection....very frustrating!

 

[Gil]

Re: Contract info and benefits.

Coops when I was dispatching we created a bargaining unit (in 2001), we had no legal rep. and we did not go with union dues (with only 9 of us it would have taken forever to save anything).

The city agreed to recognize the dispatchers as a separate bargaining unit (not a union or association) We took the senior dispatcher from each shift and that was the bargaining committee.

We looked into unions and other associations but either never where accepted to some or did not want to join others.

We took several area dept. dispatching/police contracts and with that info created our own with all that legal gibberish that city lawyer wanted in it. I was in the bargaining unit for two years and we did fairly well for ourselves even with a mayor that put city run pools before dispatchers.

It was the same as the police union, we would have our own meeting, decide what we where looking for, put together a list of Bennie's etc... that we where looking for and negotiate with the city lawyer and the chief until we eventually came to an agreement.

I am looking to see if I still have our contact on file or if I can get it and I will email you the contract.

 

[Coops320]

That would be great, that sounds just like the system we have now. Two negotiators are voted for and can continue to serve as long as everyone wants them too. We negotaiate before the Chief, Lt. Comander. and the Town Manager. We have a pretty good job here but you always want to look for more. :^)

Thanks again

 

[Coops320]

I just wanted to give this little bump and see if we can get some new info on this. Anyone know about MA law on being forced to work overtime? i.e. How many hours can you be forced to work in a given day? If dispatchers can be forced to work at all? Thanks all.

 

[COLE]

Newton pays $34,834 – 44,187 in 7 steps. Also 8% night differential. 2 weeks vacation to start, and 5 after 20 years. 2 personal days, 3 floating holidays, and 1.25 sick days per month. We are on a 5 and 2 schedule, but are in the process of trying to get the 4 and 2. We are in AFSCME, personally I would like to get of this union, but no luck as of now. Nothing extra for a degree, or certifications such as EMT. Oh, and there is lots of forced overtime. I volunteer for a lot, but there is more than we can handle.

 

[Coops320]

What I would really like to try and look in to is how much can someone legally be forced to work under MA labor law. I have tried surfing the net looking into it but have not found any answers. I really dont like the idea of not being able to leave work after my 8 hours are done. My department can force us to stay 20 out of 24 hours in a day, once a worker gets a 4 hour break they can be forced to work another 20 hours. Just not right in my opinion.

 

[Jasper]

does/could M.C.O.A help Dispatchers in Coop's situation ? What does MCOA do and how many members are there ?