In a bid to help the city deal with the financial fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic, city firefighters have agreed to make changes to their negotiated pay raises afforded to them under a 2018 three-year contract.
The city’s firefighters union approached Mayor Dan Hall and the Common Council earlier this month, offering to split the pay schedule for the 2% annual raise afforded to members, said Councilwoman Jane Reid, who chairs the council’s personnel committee.
“This whole thing came about at the behest of the firefighters union who came to the mayor and to the personnel committee and said that they knew, due to COVID, the city was going to be facing some budgetary challenges,” she said.
Glens Falls Firefighters Union Local 2230 President Tom Ordway did not return a message seeking comment.
The changes, which were approved by the Common Council on Tuesday, will still give city firefighters the 2% raise they are entitled to under their current contract, but would allow the city to split the raise into two parts.