New Syracuse firefighters will have to reside in the city for the first five years of their career under the terms of a three-year union contract ratified this week by firefighters.
That's a first for Syracuse firefighters, who previously were exempt from residency requirements under state law.
The state law, which exempts police, fire and sanitation workers, can be superseded by local collective bargaining agreements, said Paul Motondo, president of Local 280 of the International Association of Fire Fighters.
Firefighters agreed to the residency provision in return for wage increases and other favorable changes, Motondo said.
The new contract, which will be presented to the city council for final approval, gives the city's 350 rank-and-file firefighters raises totaling 8 percent over three years. The contract provides pay increases of 2 percent in each of the first two years and 4 percent in the final year. The agreement is retroactive to January 2015, and extends through December 2017.
The new contract also gives firefighters more rights to present independent medical evidence in cases involving the city's liability for on-duty injuries, a change that was important to union members, Motondo said.