The Newport Professional Firefighters Union and the city have negotiated a new contract.
The contract includes a Kelly Day, pay raises and six new hires. The new terms were discussed at the Newport Commission Meeting on Monday, June 17.
“I want to express my professional appreciation on behalf of myself and Mr. Hayden (Newport Assistant City Manager John Hayden) for the professionalism exhibited by the negotiation team for the fire union,” Newport Manager Tom Fromme said. “They were the most professionals and wanted to work with us for our mutual benefit.”
Fromme said that when the city enters into a negotiation, it compiles information from surrounding jurisdictions regarding the department it’s dealing with.
“It’s really important to us that we be competitive, both in our recruitment and retention point of view, particularly in public safety,” Fromme said. “It is a very expensive proposition to hire someone in public safety, whether it be fire or police, but then training is also very expensive. So, this is critically important as we move forward into the future for our whole success.”
He said if they lose someone who has only worked in the department for two or three years, the city will not get the full benefits of that hire after investing.
One of the biggest changes implemented into the new contract, Fromme said, was a Kelly Day. A Kelly Day is a scheduled day off intended to reduce a firefighter’s hours worked in a particular work period. It is a designated day throughout their schedule that they would typically work but instead are off.
Fromme said a Kelly Day has been introduced to reduce the workload and increase rest periods for firefighters, who are often subjected to intense and prolonged periods of duty.
The city also looked at surrounding jurisdictions like Covington and Fort Thomas, which have increased their pay. The pay raise is a three-year deal, with an 8% increase in year one followed by 5% in years two and three. The pay increase is not across the board; it is dependent on the position held.
“In recognition of the demanding nature of the work and the critical role firefighters play in community safety, a structured pay increase has been negotiated,” Fromme said. “These raises are not only a reflection of the current economic landscape but also the acknowledgment of the dedication and risk associated with firefighting.”
Fromme also recommended adding six full-time positions to the department, which has been short about three people.
“It became clear to me a couple of years ago that quality of life issues were real, and all you were feeling them, and the schedule and the grind was a challenge,” Newport Mayor Tom Guidugli Jr. said. “I think one of the challenges that now we have ahead of us is recruitment. Now we have a better contract and the ability to acquire more workers because they’ll be more excited about working here.”
During the meeting, Newport Fire Chief Frank T. Peluso said that the department already had three applicants.
In addition to the new contract, Fromme said there was also discussion on unscheduled overtime. He said they had had problems over the years with not meeting their budgeted numbers for overtime.
“I really want to say thank you for working so hard, everybody who worked on this,” Newport Commissioner Julie Smith-Morrow said. It’s a really big deal, and it’s very important. And when I hear things like, well, we may not be competitive with surrounding districts you know, that’s scary. That’s scary because the work that you all do is critical to the safety of this community.”
