Town, Clerical Union Reach Three-Year Pact

One down, six to go.

The town and the union representing more than three dozen office staff reached a tentative agreement with the town of Belmont Monday night, July 16, at the scheduled Belmont Board of Selectmen meeting.

The contract between the town and Local 888 of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) runs through June 2014 providing the 37 workers small pay increases over the next three fiscal years.

The agreement covers all permanent clerical and secretarial personnel employed by the town including those working in the library assisting the professional library staff.

Under the new contract, employees will see their hourly pay rate increase one percent in fiscal year 2013 (starting July 1), one-and-a-half percent in 2014 and two percent in 2015, according to the agreement signed Monday by the Board of Selectmen.

In addition, each employee will receive an annual longevity payment for years of service to be paid in mid-December. The payments range from $525 for five years to $775 for 30 years and more.

The agreement runs through June 30, 2014.

According to Belmont Human Resource Director Diane Crimmins, this is the first of seven unions the town will be negotiating a contract in the coming year.

Each of the unions in town negotiated extensions of their existing contracts for fiscal 2011 without a pay increase.