I write on behalf of all firefighters, paramedics, lieutenants, and captains of the Lexington Fire Department, who have been forced to take the extraordinary step of filing a class action lawsuit against the Town of Lexington for wage theft.
Between January and May of 2025, every firefighter in Lexington worked a full schedule and hours, but received reduced pay. The Town’s Finance Department refers to this as a “payroll realignment.” Let’s call it what it is: a deliberate decision to shortchange those who protect this community by one week’s pay.
Town officials are trying to simplify payroll administration, and they’re doing it at the expense of Lexington firefighters and our families. Their plan blatantly disregards our contractual rights, our unique 24-hour shift structure, and the demanding nature of our work. We don’t work 9-to-5 jobs. We work nights, weekends, and holidays. Our pay structure reflects that reality. The Town has chosen to ignore it.
Local 1491 has raised concerns about this issue since 2019. We’ve tried to work in good faith with Town officials, only to be met with indifference and, at times, outright contempt. That response sends a troubling message: the dedication and sacrifice of Lexington firefighters is not valued by those in charge. This payroll realignment has dealt a severe blow to morale within the department and will have lasting consequences on our ability to recruit and retain the skilled professionals our community depends on.
On May 12, I stood with our members before the Lexington Select Board to voice our frustration. Morale is at a breaking point. Our members, from new recruits to senior officers, feel disrespected and undervalued by their elected leaders. I publicly invited the Select Board members to visit our stations and speak directly to the firefighters they’ve shortchanged. As of today, not one Select Board member has taken that step.
Lexington demands excellence from its firefighters, and we deliver every single day. We demand respect in return, not with empty words, thanking us for our service and sacrifice, but with real action.
Lexington deserves better—and so do its firefighters.
Sincerely,
Rob Green
President, Lexington Fire Fighters Local 1491
Lexington must prioritize fairly compensating our employees. The vigilance and hard work of our firefighters is essential to saving lives and keeping our homes safe. It’s only right that we uphold our end of the contract.
Congratulations to Regie Gibson on becoming the Massachusetts Poet Lauriate! A well deserved honor.
Good for Lexington Fire Department. Wage theft is a huge problem in this country. Just minimum wage violations far exceed all shoplifting losses. But wage theft doesn’t get nearly the same attention.
It’s completely dispiriting to read about this situation—especially when the facts seem so clearly in favor of our firefighters. Wage theft is real. In my working-class household, we called it “eating hours”—working time that’s never paid. It’s exploitation, plain and simple, and our firefighters deserve better.