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Photo by Westwood Minute/Darlene Wong Cancell. Westwood Fire Station 2, the Islington Branch, is pictured.
6-06-2023 2:18pm
Supporting Documentation Lacking, but Momentum is Not, in Westwood's Contract Negotiations with Fire Union
Darlene Cancell
Editor
Westwood residents, eagerly anticipating the Town of Westwood's release of supporting documentation for the town's description of contract negotiations with the firefighters’ union, will continue to wait, based upon statements made by town officials during a remote meeting of Westwood's Select Board on June 5th. The release of such information is believed to present a risk to positive momentum in negotiations in which an agreement is "very close," according to Town Administrator Christopher Coleman.
Last month, a statement to "Residents of Westwood" dated May 17, 2023, was issued under "Town of Westwood" letterhead, describing the status of contract negotiations between the town and Westwood Permanent Firefighters Association Local 1994 IAFF. The correspondence was signed in typeface, "Respectfully, Town of Westwood." A little lower, the words “Select Board” appear, followed by the typed names of Select Board’s three members - "Marianne C. LeBlanc Cummings, Chair," "Robert R. Gotti, Clerk," and "Joseph E. Previtera, Third Member."
In the letter, the Town of Westwood sets forth a description of contract negotiations from its perspective. The firefighters have been without a contract since July 1, 2021, or almost two years. The firefighters' union issued a response, also dated May 17th, in which the union disputes the town's version of how events have unfolded.
At Select Board’s meeting of May 22nd, Ms. Cummings announced that supporting documentation for the town's May 17th letter would be posted that week to the Town of Westwood’s website. However, by Select Board’s June 5th meeting, the supporting documentation had not yet been posted.
Regarding the failure to release supporting documentation for the Town of Westwood’s May 17th letter, Town Administrator Christopher Coleman at Select Board's June 5th meeting stated his belief that such release of information would derail recent, positive contract negotiations.
“With the positive work and the movement that the town had with the union through the mediator JMLC [Joint Labor-Management Committee] process that you mentioned earlier, I did make a unilateral decision not to release that information as we had a lot of positive things moving forward. [ ] With the board support, I’d like to continue with this positive movement going forward, if the board’s so inclined, while we continue on in this process. As you said, we feel that we’re very close to reaching an agreement with our fire union. Molly has done a tremendous amount of work working with the JMLC rep, and I certainly wouldn’t want to derail the positive work that has been going on so far,” he said.
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Ms. Cummings thanked Mr. Coleman and moved the meeting on to other topics. But questions from the public at the June 5th Select Board meeting demonstrated the keen interest residents continue to have in the town's contract negotiations with its firefighters.
Resident Fran Fusco noted concern over the delay in residents’ receipt of an operational study and feasibility study regarding the Fire Department.
The Town of Westwood has commissioned a consultant to conduct two studies focusing on Westwood's Fire Department. An operational study is being performed on the level of service provided by the Fire Department. A feasibility study is being performed on the siting of Fire Station 1.
Ms. Fusco asked whether Westwood's town administrator or fire chief would receive the operational study ahead of Select Board. She feared a delay of delivering the study to town residents.
“It would have to go through the town administrator’s office to get to the Select Board,” responded Ms. Cummings. She asked Mr. Coleman to confirm her understanding "that day that we get it, it will go on the website." Mr. Coleman responded affirmatively.
Resident Kathy Wallace commented that access to the operational study is needed so that contract negotiations with the union will be informed by issues of minimum staffing levels and safety.
Mr. Coleman stated his expectation that he would have the study in-hand by Select Board’s next meeting.
Select Board’s next meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, June 21, 2023, at 6:00 p.m.
