City, Firefighters Union Reach Tentative Contract Deal

The city and members of the International Association of Firefighters Local 1363, the fire union, have reached a tentative contract deal through 2016 that would save the city nearly $200,000 next year, increases health insurance co-payments and begins payments for post-employment benefits for the first time.

The contract will get a review by members of the City Council's Finance Subcommittee tonight in City Hall.

Under the new contract, firefighters will get a 2 percent raise in 2014 and two raises per year in 2015 and 2016. The raise will be 1.5 percent both times in 2015 and in 2016, they will get 2 percent on Jan. 1 and 1 percent on June 30.

The salary increases will cost the city $338,913 during the contract term, but nearly all of that is made up with increased contributions by firefighters for their medical insurance and for the first time, they will begin making payments into an other post-employment benefit fund (OPEB) at a rate of $11.53 cents bi-weekly, totaling $300 per year.

The city "agrees that they will place these monies in a restricted account towards post retirement benefits," according to the contract — a measure obviously designed to prevent the city from tapping into the account for emergency and non-retirement purposes.

Retirees will also pay $25 per month, or $300 per year towards their healthcare benefit. 

Both Blue Cross and United Healthcare members will see a co-pay increase of $5 per visit, doubling the cost for firefighters.

The contract also establishes health savings accounts that employees may use for health care costs and the city will offer to pay 55.8 percent of the deductible on behalf of the HSA. Payments into the HSA would be on a pre-tax basis up to $1768 per year for family plans. Firefighters on the family plan pay a $2,232 deductible. Individual plans have a $1,116 deductible.

The contract includes provisions that simplify vacation and uniform policies, among other changes, including an increase of the uniform allowance to $1,300. They will also continue to get Sept. 11 off as a paid holiday.