Upon receiving and confirming to its satisfaction that Local 416 has established that a majority of firefighters desire to be represented for purposes of collective bargaining, the town shall, upon request, negotiate with the firefighters and/or their representatives concerning terms and conditions of employment. Unless required otherwise by law, all collective bargaining meetings shall be closed. Any agreement between the parties shall be reduced to writing. Provisions in multi-year agreements providing for economic increases for subsequent years shall be contingent upon the governing body appropriating the necessary funds. Should the governing body not approve sufficient funds to fund the agreed upon increase, either party may ask to reopen negotiations in an effort to reach an agreement consistent with the funding approved by the governing body.
The town shall not be obligated to negotiate concerning the right to direct the work of its firefighters, to hire, establish qualifications, direct, promote, assign, transfer, demote, suspend, discipline, discharge, classify, to relieve an employee from duty because of lack of work or other legitimate reasons, to maintain the efficiency of operations, to determine the methods, means, and personnel by which its operations are to be conducted, to allocate resources, apparatus, and fire stations, and to take whatever actions may be necessary to carry out its responsibilities in emergency situations. Neither shall the town be required to negotiate concerning matters of managerial policy, including but not limited to its budget, utilization of technology, and the organizational structure of the fire department. The town retains all rights not specifically limited by a collective bargaining agreement or applicable law. (Ord. 1031 §2, 2005).