SWAMPSCOTT — The town’s police and fire departments have not received the raise and bonus they were supposed to get on July 1 because the state legislature has not yet voted to approve the town’s decision to leave the civil service system.
A memorandum of understanding (MOU) signed by the town and its police and fire unions last year set out guidelines that, once Town Meeting approved the plan to leave civil service, each union member would receive one-time bonuses of $2,500 on July 1, 2021 (with another payment of the same amount to follow the following year) as compensation for leaving the system. In addition, union members were promised a 3 percent wage increase on that date, with 1.5 percent reflecting a cost-of-living adjustment and 1.5 percent due to the civil service change.
Swampscott Police Union President Kevin Reen confirmed Thursday that union members had not received their payments, but was unsure why.
According to Fire Chief Graham Archer, the delay is because the Massachusetts legislature has not yet voted on the town’s departure from civil service, which is required before the departments can do so, and said it would be “improper” for them to be paid before then. Archer said that once the decision is approved, all police officers and firefighters will receive the payments, including retroactive raises.
