Firefighters File Lawsuit against Town for Unpaid Overtime
Posted by Administrator (admin) on Mar 18 2010 at 1:12 PM
Unpaid Overtime >>

NORWELL – Norwell firefighters are suing the town in U.S. District Court, Boston, over overtime payment.

The firefighters have filed a lawsuit, claiming that the town violated the 1938 Fair Labor Standards Act by inappropriately calculating overtime due to the department’s twenty permanent firefighters. Overtime is paid as a percentage of the basic pay.

In Norwell, stipends firefighters get paid as educational incentives, for longevity and for EMT certification have not been considered part of their basic remuneration when calculating overtime.

According to the firefighters, the exclusion of the stipends when calculating overtime is a federal wage violation.

The firefighters want a judge to order the town to amend its overtime pay policy and to award them the unpaid overtime for last three years.

The town’s payment process for overtime was included in the union contract of the firefighters, which expired in June. The union has reached a similar contract with the town for next three years, which has to be approved in town meeting.

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