The Board of Selectman at a July 19 meeting unanimously approved the dispatch union contract, representing Newtown employees and Nutmeg Independent Public Safety employees.

According to First Selectman Dan Rosenthal, the negotiations with the union were “amicable” and were able to be conducted informally.

“The cost of negotiations goes up if you involve a lot of lawyers,” said Rosenthal. “I think it’s a better process.”

Rosenthal said that this sort of informal negotiation has been the norm, most recently with the police contract but stretching back over at least the last four to five contracts.

He said when the town goes the informal route, it means that non-monetary topics that can sometimes fall by the wayside in a more contentious negotiation can be the focus. More contentious negotiations often turn on wages and health benefits.

Rosenthal stated that the contract is “mostly straightforward, with some minor changes” in terms of some quality-of-life issues around working conditions and scheduling.

Changes include moving the first day that new four-month shift schedules start to February, June and October; that if there is a vacancy or a public safety telecommunicator (PST) on an extended leave, only one telecommunicator can be off for the 24-hour periods of Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, and Christmas, unless they can find a replacement; that personal leave days shall be 24 hours annually; and that telecommunicators are required to follow town dress code, with the director of emergency communications having authorization to relax dress code at their discretion.

From a financial standpoint, the contract is similar to the range the town agreed to in previous contracts. Rosenthal said that he tries to keep things fair between the contracts so that one bargaining unit isn’t seeing increases out of line with the other bargaining units. The dispatch union contract calls for a 2.25% wage increase in year one, a 2% wage increase in year two, and a 2.25% wage increase in year three. Health benefits will stay largely the same.

Hourly salaries are on the following schedule:

Records manager increasing from $33.92 in 21-22 to $35.38 in 23-24;

Administrative assistant increasing from $27.47 in 21-22 to $28.65 in 23-24;

Secretary increasing from $29.21 in 21-22 to $30.46 in 23-24;

Records assistant II increasing from $23.50 in 21-22 to $24.51 in 23-24;

Records assistant I increasing from $25.65 in 21-22 to $26.75 in 23-24;

PSTs at hire increasing from $24.69 to $25.75;

PSTs at completion of probation increasing from $25.77 in 21-22 to $26.88 in 23-24;

PSTs one year following completion of probation increasing from $29.10 in 21-22 to $30.35 in 23-24; and

PST supervisor increasing from $34.04 in 21-22 to $35.50 in 23-24.

The contract will have no financial impact on the town this year, and an impact of approximately $12,000 next year and $14,000 the year after.

Reporter Jim Taylor can be reached at jim@thebee.com.