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Council ordains DPW salary schedule retroactive to July 2024 and approves $175,000 transfer
Summary
The council unanimously ordained an updated DPW salary schedule to make retroactive pay adjustments for roughly 27 frontline public works employees and approved a $175,000 transfer from salary reserve to public works salaries; members noted timing near an override election but said retroactive pay was warranted.
The Malden City Council voted unanimously to ordain an updated salary schedule for public works employees and to transfer $175,000 from the salary reserve to public works salaries to cover retroactive increases.
Councillor Winslow and the Rules and Ordinance Committee explained the schedule update responds to a recently negotiated collective-bargaining agreement for frontline public works staff—about 27 workers affected—and is retroactive to July 1, 2024. Controller Ranegan and Councillor McDonald said the order mainly pays standard increases (three percent steps) and some small stipends included in the contract.
Councilors debated whether to act immediately because a municipal override election was imminent; supporters argued retroactive pay recognizes work during recent labor stresses (trash strike and major snow events) and should not be delayed. The council suspended rules to ordain and enroll the salary schedule in a single night, then approved the companion finance order to transfer $175,000 from salary reserve into public works salaries; both actions passed by roll-call votes with unanimous support.
