AUSTINTOWN TOWNSHIP Firefighters' contract

Salaries. Firefighters earned $28,000 in their first year under the old contract. Under the new contract, firefighters will earn $28,840. Firefighters with at least three years of experience were paid $38,788 last year. Under the new contract, firefighters with at least three years of experience will be paid $39,951 this year and $42,384 in 2005, the contract's final year. The assistant chief was paid $51,061 last year. He will earn $52,593 this year and $55,796 in 2005.
Overtime. The overtime policies were not changed in the new contract. Firefighters are typically on duty seven 24-hour shifts in a 21-day period. That's an average of 56 hours each week Federal law states that firefighters must be paid overtime if they work more than 53 hours in a week. For those three additional hours, Austintown firefighters, who are paid salary, receive one-and-a-half times what their hourly rate would be for a 53-hour week. After those three hours, firefighters are paid one-and-a-half times what their hourly rate would be if they worked a 40-hour week.
Accumulated time. The accumulated-time policies were not changed in the new contract. Firefighters can choose to accept up to 240 hours of accumulated time instead of overtime. Accumulated time is taken as vacation time. Firefighters receive one-and-a-half hours of accumulated time for each hour of overtime they work.
Longevity. The longevity-pay policies were not changed in the new contract. Firefighters are paid $50 for every two years they are employed during their first 10 years. They receive the payments every two years. For example, after two years, a firefighter would receive $50, after four years, $100, after six years, $150, and so on. After 10 years, they receive $100 for each two-year period that they have been employed.
Attendance incentive. Attendance pay was not changed under the new contract. Firefighters are paid $160 if they do not call off sick for six months. They receive $80 if they only call off sick once in six months.
Uniform allowance. Each firefighter receives an annual clothing allowance of $600.
Hospitalization. Under the new contract, each firefighter pays $20 for hospitalization per month if they are single or $30 per month if their families are covered by township insurance. Under the old contract, the township paid for hospitalization.
Prescription drugs. Under the new contract, each firefighter pays $5 for generic drug prescriptions and $12 for brand-name prescriptions. Under the old contract, firefighters paid nothing for generic prescriptions and $5 for brand-name prescriptions.
Deductible. The new contract calls for firefighters to pay $100 network medical deductible if they are single and $200 network deductible if they have a family. The old contract had no deductible if firefighters went to a network doctor.
Township costs. Health care for the fire department is expected to cost the township $135,707 per year. Township Administrator Michael Dockry noted that health care costs most likely will increase when the township renews its insurance next spring.
Source: Austintown Township