AUBURN, Maine — Representatives of the Auburn police and fire unions spoke before the city council earlier this week and asked for hazard pay for working the front lines throughout the COVID pandemic.
"The Auburn Fire Department was one of the only departments in the city of Auburn that never altered their schedule, worked from home or veered off the path of serving and protecting this community," Auburn Fire Captain, Chris Moretto said.
"The people I represent deserve to be compensated a little extra for having to come to work every day with the threat everyone else was so afraid of," Auburn police detective Nick Gagnon said.
Moretto said firefighters would like payroll benefits, premium pay for eligible workers and other costs associated with getting more people to join the department.
Gagnon said he contracted COVID-19 at work.
Mayor Jason Levesque asked the members to write a letter to city council with those requests. He said the council will consider it as they decide how to use the roughly $14 million the city is getting through the American Rescue Plan Act.
Levesque told NEWS CENTER Maine first responders have been going above and beyond throughout the pandemic, but he wants the state to cover this cost instead of using city funds.
"Consistent recognizable hazard pay at the state level for all first responders levels the playing field throughout the state. By not doing so, you, unfortunately, create an unfair and non-equitable application of funds," Levesque said.
We asked Governor Janet Mills' administration about Levesque's plea for the state to handle hazard pay. The administration said that is what some of the money allotted to the city could be used for.
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