Holden Massachusetts Firefighters contract prohibits e-cigarettes

[wickedawesome]

HOLDEN — Ahead of its time when it banned town employees from smoking under town contracts, Holden is again ahead of the game, banning the use of electronic cigarettes under its contract with the Holden Firefighters Association. Town Manager Jacquelyn Kelly said the Firefighters Association agreed to banning electronic cigarettes because of potential health issues.

"They can be quite negative as far as their health risks," she said.

The town was one of the first employers in the country to ban smoking regular cigarettes under its union contracts. Ms. Kelly said the electronic cigarette ban also made sense to promote health among its employees.

"I think the effects of e-cigarettes are still unknown, but could potentially be as harmful as regular cigarettes," she said.

It is the unknown and the concern among health professionals that led the town to ban the alternatives to traditional smoking.

"We'd rather be preventative with our people," Ms. Kelly said.

Ms. Kelly said she knows of nowhere else in the state where an e-cigarette ban has been negotiated. She said the contract provision may be one of the first in the nation.

The contract is for three years. The town also included a one-time payment of $2,000 for firefighters living in town. The stipend is intended to encourage firefighters to live in town to improve response times. It goes into effect July 1, 2016.

The firefighters also received a 2.5 percent raise retroactive to July 1 and 2 percent raises effective July 1, 2015, and July 1, 2016. Ms. Kelly said the 2.5 percent raise was in line with what other town unions have already negotiated.





http://www.telegram.com/article/20150203/NEWS/302039546/1116

 

[pianoguy]

How does anyone so clueless become a town manager?

 

[DrMA]

How does anyone so clueless become a town manager?

I think it's actually a requirement

 

[WhiteHighlights]

Talk about an excess of precaution!
Then again, if they had already negotiated a no smoking clause in the agreement, adding e-cigs wouldn't seem like a big deal to many.

 

[HMav]

So, are the firefighters also required to stay away from the toxic smoke from structure fires, you know, for their health?

 

[NorthOfAtlanta]

How does anyone so clueless become a town manager?

Next step up from HOA president.