Schaumburg approves new three-year contract with fire department captains

Schaumburg trustees have approved a new three-year contract with the fire department’s captains union that costs $67,191 beyond the terms of the prior agreement, excluding individuals’ step increases.

On May 1, captains will receive a 3.75% salary increase, followed by 3.5% increases in May of 2025 and 2026.

The rank of captain has a union with five members. The Schaumburg Fire Department’s other employee union includes the ranks of both firefighter and lieutenant.

The limited size of the fire command union and the few changes and clarifications required avoided any challenge to negotiating the contract ahead of its effective date, Assistant Village Manager Paula Hewson said.

“It’s a small group, there’s only five of them,” she said. “And it’s a well-established contract, so there wasn’t a lot to talk about.”

On May 1, captains in their first year will have a salary of $130,502. Pay will increase to $133,763 in the second year, $137,107 in the third, $140,535 in the fourth, and $144,048 beyond the fourth .

The contract also provides for longevity pay for having reached particular anniversaries of service. The fifth through ninth anniversaries pay $450, the 10th through 14th $600, the 15th through 19th $900, the 20th through 24th $1,200, and for the $25th onward $1,500.

As the fire department’s other union did last year, the captains’ contract adds holiday pay rates to the day after Thanksgiving and on Christmas Eve, and a requirement of an annual blood draw to provide for early detection of medical conditions for which firefighters experience a higher risk.

If accrued sick time exceeds 900 hours at retirement, a captain with 20 years of service would be paid for a third of it. After 25 years of service, those with 1,000 hours accrued would by paid for half of it.