For the first time since 2010, members of Long Beach (NY) Professional Fire Fighters Local 287 are working under a current collective bargaining agreement.
The city approved the successor agreement on July 10, officially ending one of the longest bargaining efforts in the Local’s nearly 100-year history. The contract provides long-awaited stability for the 24 career fire fighters who serve their Long Island community.
“The road to get here was long and, at times, incredibly difficult. Yet through it all, our fire fighters continued to answer every call and serve this community with professionalism and pride,” said Local 287 President Sam Pinto. “Today is about recognizing what can be accomplished when people stay committed to the process and remain focused on the future.”
As one of the only career departments on Long Island, Local 287 members protect a densely populated coastal community with unique emergency response challenges. Ensuring the department had the personnel and resources needed to meet the evolving needs of Long Beach was a top priority throughout the Local’s negotiations.
The road to get here was long and, at times, incredibly difficult. Yet through it all, our fire fighters continued to answer every call and serve this community with professionalism and pride
Local 287 President Sam Pinto
Reaching an agreement became increasingly difficult as Superstorm Sandy, a department restructuring, multiple changes in the city’s administrative and political leadership, and the COVID-19 pandemic reshaped the community over the last 16 years.
Without a contract in place, the City and Local relied on multiple memorandums of understanding and other negotiated arrangements to address immediate issues as they came up over the years. While those agreements resolved pressing concerns, they also created a patchwork of policies and financial obligations that complicated negotiations.
“This was an incredibly complex negotiation,” said Local 287 Vice President Catherine Lewis, who served as the lead negotiator. “We had so many different short-term agreements to navigate through that it created a lot of unknowns. But now, with this new successor agreement, we have an easier starting point for future negotiations.”
The new contract includes wage increases, restructures the city’s pay charts, and addresses other key priorities for fire fighters. It also incorporates certain NFPA and FLSA requirements into the city’s obligations for the department.
Local 287 – which enjoys 100% union membership – also looked beyond members’ immediate wages and benefits. Local leaders made difficult financial compromises – including forgoing additional compensation for some members – to strengthen the department and better position it for the future.
“This agreement required compromise,” said Pinto. “Our members understood that and made difficult decisions with the future of this department in mind.”
“No contract is perfect, and no agreement gives either side everything it wants. But this agreement gives us something we have not had in sixteen years: stability and a foundation.”
The IAFF played a key role in supporting the Local, providing a municipal financial analysis (MFA) of the city, wage comparisons with comparable departments, and other data to strengthen the Local’s position in negotiations.
“We would have never gotten this agreement if it wasn’t for the IAFF. It was truly a team effort.
Local 287 Vice President & LEad Negotiator Catherine Lewis
“This agreement demonstrates what’s possible when Local leaders stay united and remain focused on delivering solutions,” said 1st District Vice President James Slevin.
“Local 287 secured an agreement that not only improves conditions today but gives them a much stronger foundation for future bargaining. I’m proud the IAFF was able to stand alongside them throughout this process.”
Slevin also served as an important advisor to the executive board and sat as an arbitration panelist during hearings with the city.
“We would have never gotten this agreement if it wasn’t for the IAFF,” said Lewis. “It was truly a team effort.”
The New York State Professional Fire Fighters Association (NYSPFFA) also supported the Local throughout the process, as did Uniformed Firefighters Association Local 94, which helped the Local secure strong legal representation for the negotiations.
Local 287 leaders hope the new agreement can also serve as an example for other career departments operating in regions where the fire service is largely volunteer.
“My hope is that we will look back on this agreement not simply as the contract that ended a 16-year impasse, but as the moment labor and management recommitted themselves to building a stronger fire department, supporting the fire fighters who serve this community, and delivering the highest level of public safety possible for the residents of Long Beach,” said Pinto.
