Electric Department Joins Call For Fair Pay In Madison Borough

MADISON, NJ — The Madison Electric Department has joined the chorus of those protesting the borough's unfair pay, requesting a change in their upcoming contracts.

In recent weeks, the Madison Firemen's Mutual Benevolent Association(FMBA) Local 74 issued a statement on its Facebook page demanding pay and staffing increases, which was quickly followed by the Madison Patrolmen's Benevolent Association (PBA) and the Madison DPW Teamsters.

The Electric Department, like the other members of public works, has been negotiating with the borough, which, according to their public statement, has not been successful.

"The Borough administration is refusing to come to a fair and equitable settlement of this contract with IBEW Local 1289. The Local is and has been asking for a fair contract to make sure that our employees are fairly compensated for their dangerous and complex work they perform," IBEW Local 1289 said.

Read more: Firefighter's Union Calls For Fair Pay, Increased Staffing In Madison

According to officials with the electric department, the delay in negotiating the new contracts has caused the borough to expend time and resources that would have been unnecessary if they had simply agreed to a solution with the union.

"Please remember that regardless of where on the agenda public service is with the Borough Administration and Council, our Rose City residents will always be our priority. The level of service that the Madison DPW, Madison Electric Department, Madison Fire Department and Madison Police Department have strived to provide will always be our priority," the Madison Patrolmen's Benevolent Association said.

At the council meeting Monday evening, Oct. 24, Mayor Robert Conley spoke briefly about the negotiations, likening it to "making sausage." "It's not pretty for those that are directly involved with it, our borough administration and the labor leaders and the attorneys, and certainly, for those that are looking on the outside in, it can be very confusing. But rest assured we are committed to public safety," Conley said.

When asked further about the issue, Madison Borough Communication Coordinator Michael Pellessier said, "Madison values the hard work of our DPW and Electric Department staff, which is why their average annual compensation is higher than the salaries in adjacent and comparable towns. A link to the full five-year compensation history for all Borough employees is listed on the front page of the Borough website."

The Madison Electric Department has been and will continue to be a "hometown" utility, providing customers with dependable and safe electrical service for more than a century.

The Madison Electric Department is made up of employees who live in Madison or close to it, allowing them to respond quickly to customer problems. They assist in everyday electrical work, holiday displays, tree trimming for line work and other important services.

"The borough cannot continue to ignore the fact that the electric department is not properly staffed nor is it fairly compensated," IBEW Local 1289 said.