A new contract with the city’s firefighter/paramedics was approved by the City Council during the Tuesday, Sept. 8, meeting. They are members of the International Association of Firefighters.
A memo to the council from the city’s Human Relations Director, Jessica Unangst, provided details.
“Over the last five months the city has been in negotiations with the IAFF union. The union members ratified the settlement agreement this week (early September).” The three-year contract covers July 1, 2015 through June 30, 2018.
The agreement includes: *Changed the effective date of the contract (July 1, 2015 through June 30, 2018). *Increased paramedic license bonus by $150 each year. *Increasing holidays from five to seven, by adding Easter Sunday and Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
*Striking language requiring the employee to take at least three consecutive vacation days in a row. *Defined retirement language addressing when an employee can begin to draw from the pension. Increased pension contributions for employees from 7 percent, to 7.5 percent for fiscal year (FY) 2016-17 and 8.0 percent for FY 2017-18.
*Updated promotion language, added seniority points and gave discretion to the Director of Public Safety to promote from the top three candidates in no particular order. Added certification language for specialized positions (fire inspection coordinator and mechanic).
*Cleaned up language under Sick Leave and added requirements for light duty work. *Cleaned up language under medical and vision insurances. *Increased life insurance amounts. *Removed the residency requirement. *Added language referencing the city’s drug/alcohol policy.
**Wage increase of 2.5 percent effective July 1, 2015; 2 percent effective July 1, 2016; and 2 percent effective July 1, 2017.
*Added language for the appointment of a financial manager as required under section 15(7) of the Public Employment Relations Act.
**Estimated costs for implementation the first year are $64,850. The second and third year of the contract are estimates and unknown given the increase in pension contributions.
