Norwood Contract Negotiations Stall as Municipal Unions, Police, and Teachers Face Mediation-August 8, 1975

Town Manager John P. Mogan Warns Against Municipal Workers’ Strike Threat While All Bargaining Groups Report Minimal Progress

Annual town meeting in June previously postponed salary appropriations in anticipation of mediated settlements, but progress has been slow to nonexistent for police, municipal workers, and teachers, with firefighters just entering the process. Funded largely by the town’s $1 million free cash reserve, any eventual raises are expected to leave this year’s $41 tax rate untouched.

The labor standoff intensified on July 2 when 85 members of Local 362 of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME)—representing public works, electric light, cemetery, town hall, and recreation workers—voted unanimously to authorize a strike if mediation fails. Union president James Johnson stated that selectmen’s negotiator Arthur Murphy rejected all 12 pared-down proposals covering pay increases, life and health insurance benefits, and vacation arrangements. Town Manager John P. Mogan condemned the strike vote, declaring, “It’s against the law to strike. I’ll handle it as an illegal matter if it does occur,” noting potential disciplinary action or termination. Mogan also criticized delays, stating initial demands were not received until April despite early outreach.

Meanwhile, police and firefighters report similar stagnation. Patrolman William J. Spierdowis of the police negotiating committee noted a mediation session scheduled for Monday, with fact-finding and binding arbitration remaining as subsequent options if talks stall. Firefighters union president Albert J. Hohmann of Local 1631 reported no offers received from selectmen since proposals were submitted in April. In the school sector, Norwood Teachers Association (NTA) president Fay Pellett reported a grueling four-hour mediation session with the school committee, though she remained unoptimistic about a swift resolution. While both sides maintained a strict blackout on substantive details, informed sources indicated that teachers dropped initial 10 percent demands down to roughly eight percent, compared to the school committee’s last offered three percent increase.

Archival Note: This article has been dynamically reconstructed from the original public record print archives of the Patriot Ledger