Sylvania Township, firefighters union agree on new three-year contract

12/28/2010

Sylvania Township trustees Tuesday unanimously approved a contract with the local firefighters union that will allow for an across-the-board 2 percent wage increase next year.

The three-year contract, which takes effect on Jan. 1, also opens the way to further negotiations on wages and health insurance premiums in 2012 and 2013.

Township Trustee Kevin Haddad said the negotiations went smoothly and the wage increases will cost the township less than $60,000.

"It was a very amicable agreement," Mr. Haddad said. "It met all of our needs for both sides and this is the way business needs to be done."

Chris Nye, president of the International Association of Firefighters Local No. 2243, said he was also pleased with the new contract, which received overwhelming approval from the union's membership

"Given these economic times I think the labor agreement and the negotiation process went very well," Mr. Nye said, adding that the negotiations were one of the smoothest he's experienced with the township in the last few years.