SWAMPSCOTT — The Firefighters Union remains the only town union without a finalized collective bargaining agreement.
Town Meeting members voted two weeks ago to approve costs related to financing bargaining agreements, but nothing was settled with the firefighters.
This was the first time in many years that the Swampscott Firefighters Union, the Local 1459, did not have a bargaining agreement with the town before the annual Town Meeting, said James Snow, president of the union.
“We are not even close,” he said.
The firefighters have several outstanding grievances with the town, and the union was not going to negotiate the bargaining agreement until these issues were resolved, said Snow.
The union has filed more grievances in the last two years than ever before, said Michael Salsgiver, vice president of the union.
“We have already had three arbitrations in the past year and a half alone,” he said, mentioning that both the union and the town are spending money on lawyers “like crazy.”
“It is a hostile work environment, and the morale in the station is completely the lowest it has ever been,” said Salsgiver. “We have the most holdovers we ever had, because people don’t want to work. They don’t want to be here.”
The pending grievances concern voter intimidation, harassment and repeated broken agreements between the union and the town.
In July 2021, the union filed a complaint with the town against Fire Chief Graham Archer. The complaint included a description of a situation that took place on April 27, 2021, on the annual town election day.
According to the union, the firefighters decided to endorse the candidacy of Mary Webster for the Select Board that year. On election day, Archer allegedly questioned the union’s choice and told some members of the department to not “vote stupid, vote smart.”
The union considered these remarks as a call to vote for Peter Spellios, another candidate in the election.
“We consider what the Chief did, when voting day was upon us, was voter intimidation,” said Salsgiver.
Archer said he disputes such interpretation of the situation. He didn’t remember using names of the candidates. He said he was not confrontational and was sharing his opinion in a private conversation.
Another incident happened after the Pride celebration in town. Archer sent an email to Snow, expressing his disappointment with department members over their participation in the event.
The email said “they then shuffled over as though they were walking to the gallows” and “all of the public safety professionals there stayed 20 yards away from any citizens as if gayness was contagious.”
The union interpreted this message as an accusation of being homophobic, Salsgiver said.
“My sister, who I love dearly, is gay, as well as many other family members. Listening to the stories the day of the event brought me back to the day my sister came out to our parents,” said Steven Greenbaum, member of the Fire Department, in his testimony to the union. “The comments made by the Chief of the Fire Department are not only ignorant and insensitive, but also hurtful to members of the department who have family members that are gay.”
Archer said that his message exchange was one-on-one with Snow. He didn’t see members of the department mingling at the event and was approached by some people who saw the same and complained.
In terms of harassment, Salsgiver said that different department members were treated unequally for not wearing face coverings or not being vaccinated.
“He (Archer) did not grant me COVID leave when he ordered me out due to my wife’s illness,” said Michael Lauseir in his testimony. “The Chief quarantined the entire group 1 (his group before becoming Chief) for an exposure, but the next day when group 2 was exposed (myself included on overtime), we were told he couldn’t quarantine everyone.”
The department had a large wave of COVID-19 cases, Archer said, and the money he had to cover sick leave expired.
“So I couldn’t cover it anymore,” said Archer, pointing out that he is constrained in his position to be a prudent watchdog of the budget. “This was nothing personal.”
He said that his internal mask policy might not have been perfect, but he did not discipline anyone for not wearing a mask.
The town has not shared the results of the complaint review with the Fire Union to this day. Town Administrator Sean Fitzgerald said to the Item that it was a personnel matter, declining to discuss it any further.
On April 26, the union filed a charge of prohibited practice with the Massachusetts Labor Relations, because the town hired two new firefighters who were over the age limit negotiated by the union and the town as part of the Civil Service policy replacement and agreed upon on March 31. These negotiations about limiting the age of candidates had been ongoing since the fall 2021.
The town proposed the union “grandfather” the two new hires, because they had received their conditional offers before March. The union rejected that offer, and the town signed the hiring policy documents containing the age limit stipulation.
“We want better communication, and for the chief and the town to actually do their job properly and correctly,” said Salsgiver. “They do everything through the back door, and then you find out about it afterwards.”
“I tried over and over to reach out to them and reset the relationship,” said Archer.
He said he supports organized labor, and since becoming the chief in December 2019, he has been focusing on enhancing firefighters’ safety and health.
He successfully applied for and received almost $370,000 in federal grants to construct a decontamination room, install a new fire suppression sprinkler system at the firehouse, and hold in-house training, Archer said. He’s also expanded the department’s community engagement.
“All of this while leading the department through a nearly unprecedented pandemic which struck four months after I assumed my role,” said Archer.
Fitzgerald said that leaving civil service represented difficult changes for the department that would take some time to adjust.
“But I trust that Chief Archer and the men and women of Swampscott Fire Department will continue to answer the bell when it rings,” said Fitzgerald. “And we will continue to work with each other, and with the town to help build a department that reflects our broadest commitment to inclusivity and professionalism.”
MaryEllen Fletcher of the Select Board said that she is troubled hearing that there are continuous grievances at the Fire Department.
“I think it is the Select Board’s job to ask the question, ‘Why are there consistent issues here?’ Then, ‘How do these issues affect the community?’” Fletcher said. “I would like to not be spending taxpayer monies if we don’t have to.”
Members of the Select Board Neal Duffy, David Grishman and Catherine Phelan declined to comment on the situation surrounding fire union grievances. Select Board member Peter Spellios did not make himself available for an interview.
