Bloomington firefighters to get $235K in overtime wages

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. (AP) - A change in Bloomington's overtime payment system is bringing the city's firefighters $235,000 in overtime wages they were shorted.

The Herald-Times reports (http://bit.ly/2g96ry1 ) that more than 110 firefighters, some of whom have retired, will get retroactive overtime payments. Each will receive payments ranging from $85 to about $5,000.

Bloomington Corporation Counsel Philippa Guthrie says legal rulings have clarified that the overtime calculation method the fire department had used can only be employed in certain circumstances.

That method paid firefighters a weekly salary rate whether or not they worked 40 hours. Firefighters were paid overtime not at 1.5 times the hourly rate, but at half the hourly rate.

The department's new overtime structure means the firefighters will receive the correct overtime wages, plus additional wages they were due but were underpaid.

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Information from: The Herald Times, http://www.heraldtimesonline.com