Westford reaches tentative three‑year contract with firefighters after prolonged talks

Westford officials announced on April 7 that the town and the local firefighters union have reached agreement on the principal terms of a three‑year contract after weeks of negotiations, officials said. The tentative deal is described by the town as competitive and fiscally responsible but must be ratified by the union and receive final municipal approval before taking effect.

The negotiation followed what town officials and union representatives described as a prolonged and at times contentious process. Union representatives told officials that firefighters had been working without a contract "for June, nearly 2 years," raising concerns about staffing shortages and recruitment challenges that the union said have affected emergency services.

Town legal counsel, speaking at a labor hearing, referred to firefighter positions as needing to be filled by "warm bodies," a phrase that union representatives sharply criticized. "That statement should concern every resident because when you call 911, you're not asking for a warm body. You are trusting that a highly trained skilled professional will arrive ready to perform life saving care," union representatives said in a prepared statement.

Select board member Sean Kelly, who helped negotiate the agreement, acknowledged the difficulty of finding terms acceptable to both sides. "There's a lot of complexity to this, and there are things that need to be balanced," Kelly said. "Specifically, we wanna give a contract that recognizes our firefighters and how they dedicate their lives to Westford, but that also has to be balanced against our duty to the taxpayer, which is one of fiscal responsibility."

Voters at Westford's recent annual town meeting approved additional funding for the fire department, including investments in new vehicles, equipment and infrastructure, town officials said. Town representatives thanked firefighters and residents for their patience and said the parties are optimistic about continued collaboration.

Next steps: the union must ratify the agreement and the town must give final approval before the contract takes effect. The announcement did not include a ratification date or the full text of the contract; those details were described as pending.