Selectmen, Union Reps Set To Sign Agreement

The Lynnfield Board of Selectmen will meet briefly on Tuesday, June 7 at 3:30 p.m. for the public signing of a memorandum of agreement and memorandum of understanding with representatives of the town employee and retiree bargaining groups.

The town has been negotiating with its employee unions for several months on about $750,000 in healthcare concessions as part of an effort to close a budget deficit of about $1.5 million. The process was triggered late this winter by a sharper than expected increase in healthcare costs to the town.

In the past couple of weeks, town officials have indicated that a deal was close if not set.

The meeting comes one day after the June 6 Proposition 2 1/2 override vote, where Lynnfield residents are asked to approve an additional $560,000 to close the rest of the budget deficit.

School officials have warned that rejection of the override could trigger the layoff of several dozen teachers and other school personnel, as well as cuts from other town departments and even programs such as the LHS hockey team.

(Editor's Note: For previous coverage of this issue, )

Meanwhile, town officials have noted throughout the process that if the override does not pass, employees cannot be expected to face the prospect of layoffs in FY'12 while also giving up concessions on healthcare benefits.

The selectmen will also hold their previously announced meeting on Thursday, June 9 at 7 p.m. in the selectmen's room at town hall. The next school committee meeting is Tuesday evening, June 14.