Employees of the Municipal Maintenance Department asked the Selectmen at their Tuesday meeting for assistance in contract negotiations, saying that they had "no confidence" in Town Administrator Mark Andrews and Assistant Town Administrator John Sanguinet in resolving contract disputes.

"We implore you to help rectify this contract standstill," said Municipal Department Master Mechanic James Maxim who, along with several maintenance employees and members of the local group of Massachusetts Labor’s Public Employees’ Council Union 1249 of the Wareham Municipal Maintenance Department and Custodians members, spoke during the citizen's participation part of the meeting.  "We need help, and we're asking for your help."

The Selectmen appeared caught off-guard by the event, uncertain whether they could even address the issue as Selectmen (as Town Administrator Andrews handles all personnel matters) as well as whether any response would violate contract negotiation guidelines and/ or open meeting laws.  But they also didn't seem to appear unsympathetic to the hard work of employees, particularly as they were Wareham residents speaking during citizen's participation.

"You've asked the Board of Selectmen for help, but we cannot negotiate the contract," said Selectmen Steve Holmes.

Citing Massachusetts General Law, Selectman Brenda Eckstrom noted: "If there are any discussions, they have to come up in executive session with Mr. Andrews."

The Municipal Maintenance department have been working without a contract since 2007, and the department staff has been cut from a high of around 44 employees during the 1980s to 7 who staff the department currently in addition to 3 custodians.  They have not had any increase in wages, leaving workers "doing double, triple, quadruple duty at 2007 rates."

Maxim also expressed frustration that such a small number of employees is responsible for a town with the third-largest land area in Massachusetts. He also expressed frustration with the negotiation process, saying that they have dealt with seven different Town Administrators and/or Acting Town Administrators over the contract negotiations and had negotiation meetings canceled 14 times.

Meanwhile, he said that other jobs in town have been filled at higher-than-advertised rates, specifically later referring to Director of Inspectional Services Myles Burke.  Burke, a former colleague of Andrews' in Lawrence, was hired at a $75,000,  50% higher than the advertised pay rate and well above the salary level specified in the town's personnel plan. Andrews defended the hiring this spring, saying that the Inspectional Services Department would be taking on additional responsibilities to justify the pay increase.

In response to the union's Tuesday vote of no confidence, Andrews said after the meeting that he could offer no comment without violating contract negotiations.

Asked directly to respond to the employees during the meeting, Andrews only said, "we'll see you at the next meeting."