How much can be squeezed out of a contract?

That is one approach to negotiations, but not the one taken by this administration in reaching tentative agreements with unions representing police, firefighters and municipal workers.

Rather than crying poor without a cent to spare, Mayor Scott Avedisian has approached these difficult financial times from the perspective that “we’re all in the same boat.”

Together the parties have crafted agreements that will essentially take layoffs and unpaid furloughs off the table (that’s implied, but not stated, in the agreements); mean short term pay cuts to help balance the current budget and mean minimal increases in healthcare co-payments. The bottom line is a $1.9 million savings for the remaining four months of the current budget and a total savings of $9.7 million in 40 months.

Could the mayor have come up with even more savings?

We would say, yes.

Had healthcare co-payments been higher and on a par to what state and private sector workers are paying, there would have been greater savings assuming all other factors were equal. Those who already criticize the mayor for being too generous with the taxpayers’ dollars will surely tout this point.

And, as we know already, there is another group that is questioning whether the agreement, which was changed to remove a no-lay off clause, was distributed in time to meet posting requirements.

For the city to realize the savings, the agreement also relies heavily on a reduction in the city’s workforce. The mayor projects the workforce of the Police Department to drop by 12. It is currently authorized for 179 although the ranks number 175. Chief Col. Stephen McCartney is preparing for the department to go through a major reorganization that could mean the elimination of some divisions and greater workload for the staff.

As for municipal workers, the mayor projects a reduction of 17 workers. Jean Bouchard, president of the municipal employees union, expects that number to grow to 28.

There is no immediate cut in firefighters—apart from the vacancy left by the retirement of assistant chief Michael Walsh—because of minimum manning requirements.

While more could have conceivably been squeezed from city workers, Mayor Avedisian has sought to enlist city workers in keeping the city afloat. He negotiated with them collectively, rather than playing the game of positioning one against the other and he has gained their confidence in his effort to maintain services and protect their jobs as best he can.

What he has achieved certainly beats what the School Committee was able to accomplish with its teacher contract extension—which features only a deferral of raises owed to teachers this year and lock them in for an $11 co-pay for another three years (clearly unaffordable for taxpayers).

We would argue that as tough as times are, for the moment this is a good plan that enables the city to move forward with taxpayers and city workers sharing the load.