Malden Fire Retirees Receive Full Stipends, Thanks to Attorney Leah Barrault

In 2013, Malden fire fighters starting receiving Longevity/Education and EMT stipends in their base pay, instead of in bi-annual lump sums. This change, which included increases to the stipends, also resulted in a long-sought increase by Malden Firefighters Union, Local 902 IAFF in the fire fighter’s hourly rate. However, when a lieutenant retired soon after this change, he only received the pro-rated amount of his stipends. The City refused to pay the difference between the full amount of the stipends and the portion it actually paid through his weekly pay.

A neutral arbitrator agreed with Attorney Leah Barrault that the City's failure to pay the balance of stipends upon retirement violated the collective bargaining agreement. He found that the longstanding practice had been to pay retirees the full stipends without regard to when they retired. The Arbitrator further found that when an arbitration panel directed the City to roll the stipends into fire fighters' weekly base pay, the panel did not seek reduce or devalue the stipends. In fact, the panel directed that the stipends be increased prior to being rolled into the contract.

The Arbitrator directed the City to pay the balance of the stipends to the retiree.