North Adams Council OKs Union Wage Hikes

By Tammy DanielsiBerkshires Staff
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NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — The City Council passed an updated fiscal 2025 classification and compensation plan with no debate at a special meeting on Monday. 
 
The updated plan covers recent agreements with the firefighters, police and Department of public Works' unions and is retroactive to July 1. 
 
The firefighters and police are getting about a 3 percent raise. 
 
An entry-level firefighter will have a minimum starting wage of $46,574, up from $45,218, and Step 1 will start at $48,085.
 
A patrol officer at Step 1 will get $47,272, up from $45,031. Second shift will get an 8 percent differential ($48,633 at Step 1) and third a 9 percent differential ($49,083 at Step 1).
 
DPW workers will see a $2 an hour raise across the board, or about 12 percent. An entry level laborer will start at $17.30 an hour, up from $15.30.
 
Mayor Jennifer Macksey had proposed a 2 percent cost-of-living raise for nonunion employees back in May. 
 
At that time, the public unions were still in negotiations and the mayor said the focus was on wages as nothing "unreasonable" had been asked for education or stipends. 
 
"The big focus is on public services wages," she said back in May. "We're having a hard time finding people and we are losing good people to our neighboring communities."
 
The meeting took barely two minutes and the vote was unanimous with Councilors Lisa Blackmer and Ashley Shade absent. 

Tags: compensation & classification,   union contract,   wages,   

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Letter: Save Notch Forest

Letter to the Editor

To the Editor: I'm writing in regards to the Save Notch Forest signs that I have seen.

As a proud Masshole native from North Adams, that has transplanted to Southwest Vermont, I was curious as to what the signs were about.

I am grateful that I checked out the site on the sign to learn of the extensive and heinous logging plans of the Mass Audubon society near the North Adams reservoir.

As someone who travels back down to Mass sometimes daily and ventures to the reservoir 95 percent of that time for just the peace and beauty of being able to just sit there in awe.

Each time I go, I am guaranteed to see the bald eagle that perches on the pine or birch on the eastern end of the reservoir. I've had quite a few joyfully, awesome experiences with watching it. Be when it was just chilling peacefully or swooping at the geese getting them all flustered but I loved hearing it's call after the beautiful Loons floating in the reservoir.

There was this time I could hear it calling and crying, but unable to see it. I then look up to see a hawk gliding back and forth along the reservoir, doing it's best to taunt and harass the Eagle. From the direction of the cries, I figured the bald eagle's nest must be somewhere behind that tree it usually sits on on the water's edge.

I just do not understand how Mass Audubon Society can intentionally destroy the bald eagle's habitat ... let alone the loons ... let alone all of the other heinous logging aspects that come with its proposal near the North Adams water supply. Way up mountainous terrain on already strained roads that are slowly sliding off the mountainside and near public habitation.

There are a million other places on Greylock, North Adams or Massachusetts in general, what about the other side in South Williamstown/New Ashford? More space, more direct, less people, no water supply or endangered species habitat to destroy for the fun of it.

Why does it have to be Greylock and North Adams you experiment with? Why experiment at all?

I'm grateful I stumbled upon the mighty little forest army fighting for what's good and right, let alone common sense. I am also eternally grateful for the abundant awe inspiring magic of Greylock and all she bestows.

Felicia Packard
Bennington, Vt.

 

 

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