Summit, firefighters agree on new contract

By Steve Metsch

The Summit Village Board, at its monthly meeting last Monday, approved a

new contract with Teamsters Union Local 700, which represents the firefighters.

The contract, which runs retroactively from July 1, 2019, through June 30,

2022, includes slight pay hikes for all positions in the department.

For example, firefighters who are now paid $13.75 per hour will get $16

per hour on July 1, 2021.

Increases are also scheduled for engineers, medics, lieutenants, captains

and paid-on-call firefighters.

The highest pay will be $21.35 per hour for captains, effective July 1,

2021.

Summit’s Executive Director Jerry Hurckes, in a text last Tuesday morning,

said that the pay increase “puts us in line with surrounding villages to be

able to keep our firefighters/paramedics.”

The contract includes a non-discrimination clause, and a no-stroke

commitment. Staffing per shift will be one officer, one engineer and two

paramedics.

Annual physical exams will be required of each fire department employee.

Village board members during the meetingÑthat was conducted by phone

because of the coronavirus pandemicÑsaid they were pleased with the contract.

Trustee Art Sullivan asked if all went well with the contract

negotiations.

Hurckes replied that “the union is very happy; our fire chief is very

happy.”

In other business, trustees unanimously approved a business license for a

Farmers Insurance Agency at 7424 Archer Ave.

The board approved a lease agreement with First Midwest bank for a parking

lot at 7640 W. 63rd St. The board approved paying M&J Asphalt $165,710 for

paving.

The board considered a recommendation for the village engineer to provide

notice of intent to award a contract for water meter replacement and fixed

based automatic radio read installation to Calumet City Plumbing in the amount

of $1,149,045 pending approval from the Illinois EPA.

But that was put on hold.

Trustee Sam Dardovski moved that the payment be tabled pending further

review. All the trustees agreed and voted unanimously to delay action on that.

The board did approve a payment of $343,395 to MQ Construction Co. for

work completed on the Green Alley Program. Two alleys were worked on. The MWRD

reimburses the village a portion of the price.

“It’s fantastic that we have the reimbursement,” Dardovski said. “That’s a

great thing.”

Village officials congratulated Trustee Mayra Ortiz, who recently gave

birth to her first son. She and her husband have two daughters.

The next village board meeting is planned for July 20. Prior to that,

trustees plan to hold their committee meetings on July 1.