D7 Councilwoman Mary Kneebone chairs the city's personnel committee. (Metro Wire photo)

City personnel committee approves labor agreements

By Brandi Makuski

STEVENS POINT – The city’s personnel committee approved several labor agreements during its Dec. 9 meeting, setting wages and terms for employees across multiple departments for 2025.

Key Approvals

District 7 Councilwoman Mary Kneebone opened the meeting by summarizing the agreements.

“My understanding is, this has basically already been agreed between all the parties, and we’re basically just kind of agreeing that it’s agreeable,” she said.

The breakdown:

Streets and Parks Agreement (Teamsters Local 662)​

  • Wages: Starting hourly wages range from:
    • $24.47 for administrative assistants.
    • $30.29 for lead roles and arborists.
    • Up to $34.69 for top earners in technical maintenance lead roles.
  • Duration: Effective Jan. 1, 2025, through Dec. 31, 2025.

Utilities Agreement (Teamsters Local 662)​

  • Wages: Starting hourly wages range from:
    • $25.83 for administrative support specialists.
    • $36.05 for chief operators in water and wastewater services.
    • Current employees in some classifications earn up to $40.18.
  • Duration: Effective Jan. 1, 2025, through Dec. 31, 2025.

Firefighters Agreement (IAFF Local 484)​

  • Wages:
    • Base wages for lieutenants start at $7,276.81 annually in 2025 and increase over the contract term.
    • A one-time $1,000 bonus for employees hired before Jan. 1, 2025.
  • Promotional Process:
    • Weighted scoring for promotions to positions like paramedic supervisor, including written exams, interviews, and skills assessments.
  • Seniority: Defined as starting at the hire date or upon qualification as a Firefighter I/NREMT-P.
  • New Employee Benefits:
    • Tuition reimbursement for paramedic and firefighter candidates.
    • Defined probationary periods.
  • Longevity Pay: Employees earn incremental monthly bonuses based on years of service, starting at $15/month after five years and increasing to $55/month after 25 years.
  • Uniform Allowance: New hires receive full uniforms, with reimbursement required if they fail probation.

Central Transportation Side Letter (AFSCME Local 309)​

  • Holiday Additions:
    • New holidays include Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Juneteenth, the second Monday of October, and Veterans Day.
  • Bereavement Leave:
    • Restrictions clarified on covering additional hours assigned through weekly scheduling.
  • Work Hours for Mechanics:
    • Adjusted to align with bus service operations for efficiency.

The agreements will now move to the Stevens Point Common Council for final approval on Dec. 16.