NAUGATUCK — After nearly a year without a contract in place, the borough and the police dispatchers’ union have agreed to a new four-year deal.
According to Mayor N. Warren “Pete” Hess, United Public Service Employees Union Local 424 Naugatuck Police 911 Dispatchers covers six employees.
The contract awards raises this fiscal year retroactive active to July 2018. This fiscal year, the salary for dispatchers who have been employed for more than a year is $24.83 an hour. Dispatchers who have been employed for less than a year earn $23.99 an hour. Part-time dispatchers are paid $18.78 an hour regardless of how long they have been employed.
The contract includes raises each year of the deal. On July 1, 2021, the last year of the deal, the hourly salary for dispatchers with more than a year on the job will be $27.38. Dispatchers who have been employed for less than a year will earn $26.49 an hour, while for part-time employees will make $20.95 an hour.
Dispatchers who work from 2:30 to 10:30 p.m. will receive an additional 45 cents an hour on top of their base salary. Those who work from 10:30 p.m. until 6:30 a.m. will receive an additional 55 cents, according to the contract.
“They are a quality group that is doing an excellent job in a very stressful environment,” Hess said of the dispatchers. “Police dispatcher is a very important and stressful job in today’s world. They are, in my judgement, deserving of the raise we gave them.”
Under the contract, employees will have the option to enroll in a high deductible health care plan with a $2,000/$4,000 deductible.
Danielle Pernell-Scanlon, president of the dispatchers’ union, said she believes the contract is fair to both sides.
“I believe dispatchers as a whole in our community go unrecognized for the difficult work that we do. It’s nice to see that our borough members appreciate and see how important our job is to the town of Naugatuck. I hope we can continue to move forward in such a positive direction in the future,” Pernell-Scanlon said.
