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Scal,

Here is my fundamental argument and observation. This is the historical contract language of importance:

SECTION 6. PAYMENT FOR UNUSED SICK LEAVE AFTER MAXIMUM

ACCUMULATION

In any case where an employee has accumulated his or her or her maximum sick leave

entitlement under Section 1 hereof, he or she shall, at the end of each year, be entitled

to be paid for one-half (½) of his or her unused, yearly sick leave entitlement, not to

exceed ten (10) days. Such payment is to be made on the basis of said employee’s

daily rate of pay as of January 31, and shall be paid to the employee by the thirtieth

(30th) day of March of each year.

Since 2003 they were eligible to be paid for 10 days maximum. It is an annual benefit which was paid annually, like every other fire dept in New England that has an unused sick pay clause. Annual payment for the unused. In 2012 the language remained the same with exception to the last line which now states: and shall be paid to the employee by the last day of each month.

In 2015 it was changed from 10 days payment to maximum 15 days payment . The latest language is as follows:

In any case where an employee has accumulated his or her or her maximum sick leave

entitlement under Section 1 hereof, he or she shall, at the end of each year, be entitled to

be paid for three-fourths (3/4) of his or her unused, yearly sick leave entitlement, prorated

on a monthly basis, not to exceed fifteen (15) days. Such payment is to be made

on the basis of said employee’s daily rate of pay and shall be paid to the employee by the

last day of each month.

You will note the important specific language in all historical WFD contracts and in the current contract as follows.

HE OR SHE SHALL, AT THE END OF EACH YEAR, BE ENTITLED TO

BE PAID FOR THREE-FOURTHS (3/4) OF HIS OR HER UNUSED, YEARLY SICK LEAVE ENTITLEMENT

OK, are you with me so far? SHALL, AT THE END OF EACH YEAR is the verbiage that is still in the contract.

Very simply stated, you are entitled to be paid for 75% of your unused sick time to a maximum of 15 days. So at the end of the year if you used 5 days that means you can only be paid for 75% of 15 days or 11.25 days. Everyone is being overpaid and the system has been manipulated. It is impossible to take 12 sick days or even 1 for that matter, and still be paid the maximum unused sick time.

So as I have posted previous to this, how does one man who has perfect attendance get paid the exact amount that a man that took off 7 days gets paid? That's the question, but you will note that no FF will address that issue. The city documents are very clear and simple. However, we have found hundreds of mathematical errors contained within the documents. Not dozens, hundreds. That is fact.

If you took 10 sick days and you were paid out for perfect attendance, do you not know that a mistake was made? If so, do you bring it to anyone's attention? Think about this for a minute. Why did it take 2 years, and numerous AG complaints to finally force the WFD to release these documents? Why did they knowingly remove the upper ranks documentation?

You decide. My point is that there is clearly enough evidence to suggest manipulation at the least, and possibly more.

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