Recreation Director Amy Hamilton favors raising the hourly pay of all part-time summer workers so it is in line with the state minimum wage.
That isn’t a requirement. But she told the Recreation Commission Wednesday that “it seems like the right thing to do. We all feel that the work deserves it.”
There’s also the issue of supply and demand. “The marketplace requires it,” she said of the pay raise. “I have not come across one other municipality that is not going to go up to minimum this summer.”
“It is getting more and more difficult to find people as the salary falls behind minimum and other work opportunities kids have,” she told the commission.
The state minimum wage rises to $14.25 on Jan. 1.
Hamilton acknowledged that any increase will require amending the salary administration plan bylaw, which must be approved at annual town meeting.
The across-the-board increase would impact the salary line for next summer by around $40,000, Hamilton said, noting that Summer Adventures’ net revenue still could accommodate the change.
According to the current pay scale in the bylaw, different categories of recreation workers range from $9 to $14 an hour. Positions affected are primarily for counselors and aides who work in the Summer Adventures day camp, as well as lower-echelon staffers at Springs Brook Park and Kids Club.
Many other categories are paid above minimum wage, such as lifeguard, a position that is nevertheless difficult to fill.
The teens working at Summer Adventures “have a lot of responsibility,” Hamilton said. They are required to commit to work for the pond at Springs Brook Park if it’s 50 degrees.”
Mike Rosenberg can be reached at [email protected], or 781-983-1763
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