DANVERS — By accepting a salary freeze, 225 unionized town employees have skirted the budget ax.
The employees make up seven of the town's 12 labor unions. Their agreement to forgo an approximate 3 percent raise in the coming fiscal year means no layoffs in their respective collective bargaining units as Town Manager Wayne Marquis scrambles to close a $900,000 budget shortfall.
When asked if these seven units would be spared should the town's fiscal picture darken, Marquis said, "That is correct."
"The agreements include a commitment from the town that no bargaining unit members would be laid off in fiscal 2010," Marquis said in a statement yesterday. Raises scheduled for fiscal 2010 have been pushed off to fiscal 2011.
Unions that do not agree to the salary freeze would be the ones open to the possibility of layoffs to cover the budget gap, Marquis said.
The unions' salary freeze will save $265,000. Wage freezes for nonunion workers and management staff will bring the total savings to $400,000, Marquis said. The savings should spare eight to 10 jobs.
"We recently agreed with our town manager's proposal to freeze this year's wages," said Michael Beskid, president of American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Local 1098. "It is our hope the short-term sacrifice will benefit the town and the workers in the long run."
After banging out seven union agreements in less than four weeks, negotiations are still ongoing with five other unions representing the lion's share of the town's unionized work force. These 424 workers include 312 teachers, 45 police, 49 firefighters, nine dispatchers and nine nurses.
"I would characterize the ongoing negotiations as 'good faith,'" said Marquis, who would not elaborate.
At the end of March, amid cuts to state aid and a drop in revenue from other sources, Marquis said 20 to 25 positions would have to be cut unless unions freeze their wages at this year's levels in the fiscal year starting July 1. The job cuts were to be spread among the town, library and schools, with schools seeing about half the layoffs.
Marquis said he expects to sit down with the teachers union later this week. He also plans to meet with school nurses.
Before bargaining began earlier this month, the town's management staff, 49 people including Marquis, Superintendent Lisa Dana and Library Director Douglas Rendell, agreed to a salary freeze to save $98,000 and spare two jobs.
Three of the seven units with agreements are in the School Department and four are on the general government side. AFSCME represents six of the seven.
Marquis said he was announcing the agreements now, before he's finished bargaining with the other five unions, as a way to thank those who have agreed to the wage freeze.
"I thought it important to recognize employees in a timely manner," Marquis said. "It is an achievement that is noteworthy."
"Our employees understood the gravity of the economic situation and, to their credit, made it clear from the outset that they wanted to work with us to reduce or eliminate the need to lay off employees from any department," said selectmen Chairman Keith Lucy in a prepared statement.
In the same statement, School Committee Chairman Bill Bates said: "Danvers employees have always been willing to step up to the plate when necessary to do their part in tough times, and this occasion has been no exception."
Beskid, the AFSCME president, said the agreement achieves balance.
"Our union feels strongly those concessions could help save jobs," he said. "Further, it is our expectation that we can continue to work with our town manager to create new values- or incentive-based processes for us to continue improving the way we work together serving this town."
Beskid is a public works heavy-equipment operator and working foreman.
Firefighter Brian Barry, president of the Danvers Firefighters Association, International Association of Fire Fighters Local 2038, could not be reached. Danvers Police Benevolent Association President Dana Michael Hagan was out at meetings last night and could not be reached.
A message was left yesterday evening for Danvers Teachers Association President Thomas Sangermano at his home.
Staff writer Ethan Forman can be reached at 978-338-2673 or by e-mail at eforman@salemnews.com.
wage freezes
The following unions have agreed to wage freezes:
AFSCME
Unit A, the largest unit on the general government side with 73 people who work for the Department of Public Works
Unit C, about 21 electrical workers
Unit D, about 35 clerical secretaries
65 teachers aides, school secretaries and cafeteria workers
Danvers Independent Employee Group
31 professional and supervisory positions
Source: Danvers Town Manager Wayne Marquis
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