Update on IAFF Local 2035 Fire Negotiations from 

North Andover Town Manager Melissa Rodrigues

I am disappointed to report that yesterday the Fire Union voted not to ratify the Memorandum of Agreement negotiated between the Fire Union Executive Board and the Town Administration.  

I want to thank the Fire Union Executive Board for their good faith efforts and leadership as we have gone through this process.  They have shown through their actions the importance of collaboration, and I appreciate each of them for their steadfast commitment to our town.  

At this point unless ratification moves forward, the only path is to continue our arbitration process at the Joint Labor Management Committee.  By law, each party is limited to five (5) items that they are allowed to bring forward for consideration by the arbitration panel.  This means that several of the items that the parties had tentative agreements on are not moving forward to arbitration and will not be part of the next contract including Town Proposals creating a new captain position, increasing the number of days to be used for family illness, memorializing the current practice that the Town reimburses firefighters for cancer related treatments, allowing unpaid leave, and memorializing current benefits for Military Leave, Family Medical Leave and Parental Leave. 

The process at the Joint Labor Management Committee is lengthy, and it is unlikely that we would have a decision before the end of the summer.