BRICK – The township administration has reached an agreement and has signed a four-year contract with Transport Workers Union Local 22, the bargaining unit that represents the township’s blue-collar workers, who will receive a six percent increase.
During a recent council meeting, the governing body unanimously approved the contract along with two other unions, representing four employee groups.
An agreement was also reached with Teamsters Local 469 which represents the township’s crossing guards and supervisors, who signed a four year contract with an increase of five percent for guards and six percent for supervisors.
In addition, the Policemen’s Benevolent Association Local 230 negotiated a six percent raise for the township police officers and the command staff.
“I want to comment on our memorandums of agreement and just really give a shout out to the groups that that covers,” said Council Vice President Lisa Crate.
Noting that some of the workers attended the council meeting to hear the vote, Crate said the groups covered in the new contract agreements include vehicle maintenance, EMS, police, dispatchers, Senior Services, Recreation, engineering, the clerical staff, crossing guards and “all the people who make Brick possible; without you as our employees for the town, we really wouldn’t have the great services that we have throughout the town.”
During public comment, resident Vic Finelli asked if the six percent raises across the board was over the course of one year or four years.
Township Business Administrator Joanne Bergin said the increase is for one year.
“What about the other three?” Finelli asked.
Bergin said they vary based on the bargaining unit. For the PBA the rates are six, five, four and three percent increases over the four year contract for a total of 18 percent.
For the Teamsters Local 469 representing crossing guards, the rates are five, five, four and four percent, she said. The supervisors would receive six, six, five and five percent over the four year contract for a total of 18 percent for crossing guards and 22 percent for the supervisors.
Transport Workers rates are six, six, six and four percent over four years for a total of 22 percent.
“That’s not the answer I was hoping for,” Finelli said. In the past, contract salary increases were around three percent, he said. “This seems very generous. Is there a reason?”
Bergin said that in the years 2019-2021 the cost of living was in the range of two to three percent. This year the cost of living is 8.7 percent, she said.
“You have to make your contracts modified based on the cost of living increase,” she said, which is the same as the Social Security increase for 2023. From 2020 to 2022, the cost of living increase was 5.9 percent at a time when contract renewals were three percent increases.
During his comments, Mayor John G. Ducey said negotiations had been taking place over the course of several months.
“It’s great to be able to come to an agreement and have this off of everybody’s plate, because there always is tension while the negotiations are going on,” he said.
“It’s terrible financial times, everybody knows, no matter whether you’re a town, you’re spending a lot more on gas, or whether you’re a person on a fixed income, you’re spending a lot more on gas and on everything else,” the mayor said.
Costs are going up, the mayor added, and awarding the various salary increases for the different unions “is the right thing to do.”
The next council meeting will be on Tuesday January 24 at 7 p.m.
