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Boston's Morning Newsletter
Boston firefighters to get a big pay bump under new union contract
Editor's Note: This is an excerpt from WBUR's daily morning newsletter, WBUR Today. If you like what you read and want it in your inbox, sign up here.
Now, this is the September weather we’ve all been waiting for.
Let’s get to the news:
Boston’s firefighters are about to get some money to burn: The Boston City Council is slated to sign off on $27 million in spending today to cover the city’s newly ratified contract with the International Association of Fire Fighters Local 718, the city’s firefighter union. The three-year deal — which applies retroactively back to July 2021 — ultimately gives a more than 10% raise to each union member.
- The big picture: Mayor Michelle Wu previously said that “every single one” of the city's 48 contracts with unions representing municipal workers were expired when she took office. But according to The Boston Globe, this new deal means she has reached an agreement with all of them, except for several police unions. (Those negotiations have been a bit more tense, as Wu pushes for police reforms within the new contract.)
- What’s next: It may not be long before the two sides are back at the negotiating table. Since Boston’s firefighters have been working for over two years without a contract, the new three-year version only runs through next June. Wu’s office told the Globe the city hopes to use future negotiations to push for certain fire department reforms that didn’t make it into this round.
Election results: Over a dozen Massachusetts cities and towns held preliminaries yesterday to narrow down their choices for the general election. Here’s a look at a few notable results — and the races ahead:
- In Revere’s open mayoral race, former mayor and top vote-getter Dan Rizzo will face city councilor and interim Mayor Patrick Keefe.
- Fall River Mayor Paul Coogan got nearly 6o% of the preliminary vote and will be up against former mayor Sam Sutter in the general election, according to The Herald news.
- And in Pittsfield, City Council President Peter Marchetti will face off against former councilor John Krol in November to replace outgoing Mayor Linda Tyer, per New England Public Media.
PSA: If you’re asked to pay out of pocket for the latest COVID-19 vaccines, get in touch with your insurance company. A spokesperson for Tufts Health Plan said the insurer has “heard anecdotally” that some members have been getting asked to pay upfront for their vaccines “due to coding issues.” (We’ve heard the same from multiple readers insured through Tufts who said CVS’s online appointment system asked them to pay over $190 to get the new COVID shot.)
- Tufts says the coding issues should be fixed within the next few days. While the feds are no longer footing the bill for COVID vaccines, insurance companies are required to cover the shots for almost everyone under Affordable Care Act rules. If you don’t have insurance, you can still get the vaccine for free at select locations.
- Must-read: WBUR’s Priyanka Dayal McCluskey talked to Dr. Ashish Jha about the new COVID shots, the coming virus season and what he learned in the White House. Read the full Q&A here.
Finally, a trifecta of New England train news:
- The MBTA has added two more partial Red Line closures to the schedule in the coming weeks. During the weekends of Sept. 30 – Oct. 1 and Oct. 7-8, shuttle buses will replace all train service south of Broadway (i.e. both the Braintree and Ashmont branches). This is in addition to the 16-day closure of the Red Line’s Ashmont branch and Mattapan trolley beginning on Oct. 14.
- Commuter rail service to Fitchburg is back on track after flash floods in the Leominster area last week washed away the stone bedding beneath a stretch of track. That means no more shuttle buses between Wachusett and Shirley.
- Maine Public reports Downeaster fares could go up by as much as $6 per individual ticket (which currently cost $29 to go on-way between Boston and Portland). That’s under a new proposal by the state’s passenger rail authority. A final decision will be made Oct. 23, with fare changes expected to take effect around Nov. 1.
P.S.— Maura Healey will be live on Radio Boston this morning, shortly after announcing a new process to allow veterans discharged under the old “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy to apply for state-based veteran benefits. Tune in at 11 a.m. for details on the new program, and send in your questions through the Radio Boston text club.
