The City of Beatrice has reached agreement with the union that represents local firefighters, EMTs and paramedics. The Beatrice City Council approved a six-year contract Monday night, with Firefighters Union Local 1098.
"It calls for cumulative raises of sixteen-point-five percent over those six years."
City Administrator Tobias Tempelmeyer says the contract grants three-percent increases each of the first two years……then two-and-half-percent hikes in years three, four and five….and then a three-percent increase in the final year of the agreement.
"We start looking at CIR...the Court of Industrial Relations...we look at the comparable entities to the City of Beatrice...towns half our size and twice our size....we start looking to see what they pay for wages, pensions and health insurance."