DPW Workers and Town Ratify New Contract
Amherst DPW's Rally for a Fair Contract, March 2, 2026. Photo: Art Keene
Source: Amherst DPW Workers Association
The Amherst DPW Associations (ADPWA), a union representing roughly 60 Amherst DPW workers, has ratified a new contract. The contract passed a ratification vote from the membership on May 20, and the ADPWA negotiating committee signed the contract with the town manager and HR director on May 27.
After almost a year and a half of negotiations and almost one year working under an expired contract, the ADPWA said it is pleased to have a new collective bargaining agreement that is effective retroactively to July 1, 2025 and will expire June 30, 2028.
Prior to reaching this agreement, the union members organized and participated in two public labor rallies on March 2, 2026 and March 19, 2026.
The ADPWA expressed its gratitude for the overwhelming public support received from residents, labor allies, and elected officials, as well as for the extensive local media coverage of their contract campaign saying “All of this support helped to keep our spirits high and inspired us to keep pushing forward.”
The issues facing DPW members included low wages, with many below a livable wage, high rates of turnover, low retention rates, and frequent understaffing.
Some major wins in the new contract include several position reclassifications that begin to address longstanding pay disparities, and adjustments of pay charts for all members in the bargaining unit including a deletion of some of the lower steps in the wage scales, as well as an expansion of the top steps in these scales.
This new contract marks progress toward better recruitment and retention of DPW employees which in turn will improve service delivery to the town and its residents.
ADPWA President Andrew Brace said, “It’s been a long tough road to reach this conclusion and we did it by standing together and with support from the public, our labor allies, and elected officials. We are eager to see what the future will hold following ratification of this contract and hope that this is a stepping stone for further progress in following contracts.”