43
Pay freeze lifted for firefighters in Struthers
STRUTHERS
After a three-year pay freeze, the city’s full-time firefighters will get pay raises.
City council Wednesday night approved a new three-year contract with International Association of Firefighters Local 1910.
Brian Hallquist, president of Local 1910, said there will be a 2 percent increase in pay for the eight full-time firefighters for two years and a one percent pay increase the following year.
“Things were rough financially in Struthers for a couple years,” Hallquist said. “The whole city was on pay freeze for a while.”
Ken Sabol, secretary and treasurer for Local 1910, said negotiations between the union and the city lasted two weeks. He said contracts expired Oct. 31, and that the new contract is effective as of Nov. 1.
Hallquist said the pay raises will not affect the fire chief’s salary.
Mayor Terry Stocker said raises will cost the city about $23,000 over the three-year deal. He added council passed a similar pay raise in early summer for police officers.
“Negotiations went well since we felt both sides had reasonable requests,” Stocker said. “We want to make sure these firefighters have enough money to make living wages.”
Stocker said the city has had to be a little more frugal with wages since the recession. He said the city will hand out small raises usually just to make sure its employees are making living wages.
He said the city is negotiating a new contract with its waste-treatment plant workers.