Water and sewer employees in Braintree, Massachusetts, have secured a resounding contract victory after several months of negotiations with the town. The newly ratified three-year agreement delivers major wage and benefit gains for Local 466 members, marking one of the strongest settlements in the local’s recent history.
Under the new pact, workers will receive a 13% increase to all hourly rates of pay, along with a 2.75% annual wage increase for each of the contract’s three years. Together, these adjustments amount to an impressive 15.75% total wage increase in the first year alone. Local 466 members also won improvements to key premium pay categories — including meal, boot, and night differentials — recognizing the demanding, round-the-clock work of maintaining Braintree’s essential water and sewer systems.
Local 466 President Greg Alabachian said the breakthrough stemmed from a long-standing need for pay parity. Following a merger within the town’s Department of Public Works that left water and sewer employees earning less than other town workers despite holding higher licensing requirements, the bargaining team made wage equity its top priority. “The town requires us to hold distribution, sewer collection, and CDL licenses,” Alabachian explained. “There was no way we could agree to another contract without fair compensation.”
The new contract, effective July 1, also reinstates a weekly on-call system, providing $150 per day to members on call — a program that was eliminated in 2021.
Alabachian credited the victory to teamwork and persistence throughout the bargaining process. “It took more meetings than usual, but we got it done,” he said, offering special recognition to Senior National Representative Dan Hurley, who played a key role in securing the agreement.