The Newberry City Commission is poised to vote on a new contract with its firefighters, potentially bringing to a close negotiations that began six months ago.
The commission will vote on the agreement at its Monday meeting, but Newberry Mayor Jordan Marlowe said he expects it to pass.
“We believe we have negotiated a fair compromise for the City and our firefighters, and most importantly, we will continue to have the best, most professional fire department in the area,” Marlowe said in a statement provided to Mainstreet Daily News. “Our team works well to find ways to bring forward a plan that serves everyone’s best interest.”
Newberry officials and the Firefighters of Alachua County IAFF Local 3852 kicked off labor contract negotiations last December. Union representatives were looking for pay raises and less mandatory overtime for firefighters.
While the city has not yet released the details of the agreement, Marlowe said the firefighters are getting a raise and less mandatory overtime. He also said the city is looking to bring on more firefighters to alleviate the need for overtime.
The Newberry City Commission will meet at 7 p.m. Monday. Its meeting agenda is available online.