The town and local firefighters’ union have entered arbitration after formal negotiations didn’t yield a new labor contract. The two-year collective bargaining agreement between the two sides expired on June 30. Town Administrator Shawn Brown said the parties had a couple formal negotiation sessions at the start of 2019 before the union, International Association of Fire Fighters Local 1933, filed for arbitration on March 8. “Two formal negotiating sessions highlighted we were far from an agreement,” Brown told The Daily News. “We continue to talk to union leadership and continue to try and find an agreement.” He cited “a number of financial and nonfinancial issues” as to why there’s a gap between the two sides. Multiple attempts to reach the local union and the Rhode Island Association of Firefighters were unsuccessful.