The Boston City Council voted Wednesday to advance a home‑rule petition that would reclassify full‑time 911 dispatchers, dispatch supervisors and communication center directors to Group 2 under Massachusetts retirement law. Councilors said the change reflects the high‑stress, first‑responder nature of the work and will improve benefits for dispatchers who face chronic overtime and staffing shortages.

Councilor Colette Zapata, chair of the Committee on Government Operations, told colleagues the petition addresses a long‑standing misclassification: “Our dispatchers serve as essential first responders, although we do not treat them as such, we do not classify them as such, and we do not pay them as such.” The council accepted the committee’s report and passed the matter in a new draft by roll call.

The petition would amend Massachusetts General Laws, chapter 32, section 32(g), to include certified full‑time dispatch personnel in Group 2 membership. Supporters said dispatchers routinely handle traumatic emergencies, monitor multiple radio channels, and work double or triple shifts — sometimes up to 18 hours — which contributes to burnout and recruitment problems.

Council testimony and union representatives provided financial context. The Boston Retirement Board’s analysis, cited to the council, estimated the change for about 95 dispatchers (estimated payroll shown in the packet) would increase system costs by roughly $127,000 (about 0.05% of system costs as described in the report), raise actuarial accrued liability by about $1.6 million and have an estimated FY2028 appropriation impact of $2.36 million. The committee recommended the projected cost increases are proportionately small relative to the whole system.

Council President Lui Jen and other councilors highlighted retention and recruitment concerns, and committee members credited testimony from dispatchers and SEIU Local 888 representatives for informing their decision. Tom McKeever, president of SEIU Local 888, and dispatchers who testified described exhausting schedules and low starting pay.

The council recorded a roll‑call vote of 12 in favor; the committee report was accepted and docket 1277 passed in a new draft. Because the change requires state action to alter retirement classifications, the council vote forwards a home‑rule petition for consideration at the state level.

Clarifying details: the petition targets full‑time dispatchers certified under 560 CMR 5.04; the council packet listed an estimated dispatcher payroll and the pension board’s actuarial estimates. The council’s action was legislative approval to file the home‑rule petition, not an immediate change to payroll or benefits.

The council’s committee chair said staff and union representatives will continue engagement as the petition proceeds to the state legislature.