Oregon: Firefighters receive pay raise

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Oregon city council has approved a new contract with the union representing firefighters.
Council members voted 6-0 Monday in favor of the contract that includes pay raises of 4 percent in 2024 and 3 percent each in 2025 and 2026.
Personnel in the fire department are represented by Local 4093 of the International Association of Fire Fighters,
Joel Mazur, city administrator, said the parties utilized what is known as the Interest Based Bargaining method during negotiations.
“It’s a first for us,” he told council. “It’s a longer process but it allows for more conversations. Think of it as if we micro analyze every little issue and go through them one by one until we get a tentative agreement on each one of them.”
The new agreement includes changes in medical insurance coverage with premiums going from 10 to 15 percent if a spouse of a member of the fire department is employed and offered medical coverage but doesn’t accept it.
A similar policy was adopted for police officers, Mazur said.
“This is a concession that it favorable to the city,” he said, as it offsets some of the pay increases.
In other business, council approved a request for a Special Use Exception for two parcels located in a C-3 planned commercial area at the corner of Seaman and Wheeling roads.
The applicants sought the change to stable two miniature horses.
The city planning commission had previously approved the application but set four conditions:
-A maximum of two horses can be living at the site
- If they die they can’t be replaced
-If the homeowner moves the SUE will expire
-The owner must have a plan for removing the animals’ waste.
City council also approved the conditions and no one spoke against the request during the public hearing.