Hailey Ferguson

09/12/2025

Since 2018, the Weston Fire Department has lost 11 outstanding firefighters to neighboring communities.

The reasons are clear: higher compensation, greater opportunities for growth, and stronger staffing levels elsewhere.

Each departure leaves a significant void not only within our department but also in our community. Eight of these firefighters have left in just the past five years. With every firefighter who moves on, we don’t just lose a member of our team we lose their knowledge, talent, and invaluable experience.

Professional Fire Fighters of Massachusetts (PFFM)
International Association of Fire Fighters

07/29/2024

A very important win for the Marshfield Firefighters Local 2568 as we continue to champion the rights of Unions to work within their communities to advocate for public safety!

On July 29, 2024, the MA Department of Labor Relations issued a finding of probable cause in favor of Local 2568 following an investigation into its Charge against the Town of Marshfield. As you may recall, a dispute arose several months ago between the Town and the Union following the departure of the then-Fire Chief. This dispute resulted in unfair labor practice charges filed by both the Union and the Town related to various public statements related to filling the position of Fire Chief.

With regard to the Union’s Charge, the Investigator agreed with Attorney Hailey Ferguson that there is merit to the Union’s allegation that public statements made by a Marshfield Select Board member illegally interfered with, coerced, or restrained protected Union activity. Furthermore, the Investigator issued a complete dismissal of the Town of Marshfield’s Charge against the Union on all alleged counts. Notably, the Investigator found that a Facebook post by the Union encouraging Marshfield citizens to make their voices heard at a public Select Board meeting was indeed protected by the Law.

Laurel Kennedy Hailey Ferguson Ally Presskreischer Nourhene Chtourou Professional Fire Fighters of Massachusetts (PFFM) 7News - WHDH Boston MassLive Boston Herald WCVB Channel 5 Boston

07/22/2024

Eyes on Medford! Medford Firefighters Local 1032

Attorney Leah Marie Barrault along with the Medford Firefighters Local 1032 have filed an injunction in Superior Court today to protect an over thirty-year Civil Service promotional process for the rank of Deputy Chief in the Medford Fire Department that has proven to work in favor of one that Mayor Lungo-Koehn is trying to change it to giving her ultimate power and control over leadership at the Department.

For months now, Mayor Lungo-Koehn has disrespected the Union by withholding its members’ retroactive wages for several months, making false statements to the media about the Union’s involvement in unlawful activity, and even appointing herself as the Fire Chief full well knowing that she lacked the experience essential to protect her firefighters and Fire Department. Enough is enough, and the Union is fighting back in every legal way it can to protect its members and citizens of Medford whom they have been sworn to protect.

Medford Firefighters Local 1032
Leah M Barrault
Professional Fire Fighters of Massachusetts (PFFM)
Boston Globe Opinion
WBZ / CBS News Boston
Boston Herald
MassLive
WCVB Channel 5 Boston
7News - WHDH Boston

07/11/2024

About a year ago, the Brattleboro Fire Department and the Town’s Communications Coordinator Seth Thomas teamed up to create a behind-the-scenes video of the work that happens here at the department. The crew at Brattleboro Community TV submitted that video for consideration at the 2024 Hometown Media Awards, and… it won!

The award comes from the Alliance for Community Media, a national nonprofit that promotes public/government programming. A huge thank you to the incredible crew at BCTV for all your support and for bringing some national attention to BFD!

You can check out the video here: https://tinyurl.com/mr29mh8r

06/20/2024

12/20/2023

Another major victory this time on behalf of Yarmouth Fire:

“Yarmouth Firefighters Local 122 and Barrault and Associates Attorney Ally Presskreischer obtained a favorable award at arbitration regarding the payment of the Town’s health plan incentive payments. At the heart of this case are high-deductible insurance plans, an alternative to plans like HMOs, PPOs, and POS’s. High deductible plans work by requiring plan members to incur significant deductible expenses before receiving any benefits under their policy. This higher deductible lowers premiums for the Town and the Union members. High deductible plans are only permissible if employers offer employees health savings (“HSA”) accounts, which are funded by either employee or employer contributions. In this case, the Town unilaterally began prorating its annual HSA contribution, as well as members’ one-time incentive payment for joining the plan in cases where employees were not on their high deductible plan for the full health insurance year.

Though the Arbitrator ultimately found that the Union had unknowingly agreed to the Town’s decision to prorate its annual HSA contribution years ago, he went on to agree with Attorney Presskreischer that the one-time incentive payment for employees joining the HSA plan cannot be prorated because doing so would create “even less incentive to make the election [to the HAS plan] desired by the Town. The Town was thus ordered to make the grievants and similarly situated members whole.”

The full award can be read here:https://barraultlaw.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Yarmouth-AWARD_Redacted.pdf

Leah Marie Barrault
Professional Fire Fighters of Massachusetts (PFFM)
Ally Presskreischer
Hailey Ferguson Laurel Kennedy Nourhene Chtourou Kathleen Kiely-Becchetti

12/19/2023

Another major win from the team at Barrault and Associates this time for the Professional Firefighters of Salem IAFF L-2892!

“Another Arbitrator has agreed with an IAFF New Hampshire Fire Local, the Professional Firefighters of Salem Local 2892, and the Barrault and Associates team that a firefighter retiring from his or her job is entitled to buy back their accrued time even if s/he is not planning to receive their pension monies immediately.

Attorney Hailey Ferguson persuaded the Arbitrator that the Town of Salem had violated the collective bargaining agreement when it refused to accept our client’s retirement notification, changed it to a resignation, and then denied him the benefit of buying back thousands of dollars in accrued benefits that he would otherwise be entitled to get upon retirement. Notably, the Arbitrator states in her final award section that “the Town is the losing party” and must pay our client all the benefits listed under the contract and related to retirement.”

The full decision can be read on our website here:https://barraultlaw.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/SNH-AWARD_Redacted.pdf

Leah Marie Barrault
Professional Fire Fighters of New Hampshire
Hailey Ferguson
Ally Presskreischer Laurel KennedyNourhene ChtourouKathleen Kiely-Becchetti

12/18/2023

MAJOR WIN for Acton Fire Local 1904:

“The Arbitrator agreed with the Acton Firefighters Union Local 1904 and Barrault and Associate’s Senior Associate, Nourhene Chtourou, that the Town of Acton was not permitted under the contract to add a written questionnaire to the oral board component of its promotional process. The Arbitrator found that the parties’ collective bargaining agreement outlined a specific procedure for the promotional process, and since it did not mention “written questions,” the Arbitrator concluded that the Town could not include such without the Union’s agreement.

This decision is important as more and more municipalities are opting out of the Civil Service system and thus relying upon the promotional process language that it bargains with its public safety unions. This award confirms that in these instances, a municipality will be restricted to what it got at the bargaining table and prevented from adding new and subjective components without the Union’s authorization.”

You can read the full award here:https://barraultlaw.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Acton-2023-12-05-AWARD_Redacted71.pdf

Leah Marie Barrault
Professional Fire Fighters of Massachusetts (PFFM)
Nourhene Chtourou Ally Presskreischer Hailey Ferguson Laurel Kennedy Kathleen Kiely-Becchetti

11/11/2023

10/18/2023

We completed day three of an arbitration with Local 30 today. The Executive Board is fighting hard to preserve the status quo as to leave benefits for its members. Always a pleasure working with this Local. They all look great in our hats too!

Ally Presskreischer Hailey Ferguson Nourhene Chtourou Laurel Kennedy Leah Marie Barrault Cambridge Fire Fighters Local 30