Franklin City Manager Tracy Jamieson has outlined details of the four-year contract between the city and the Franklin Fire Department’s union, International Association of Fire Fighters Local 2835.
The contract, which takes effect Jan. 1, 2019, was finalized during an executive session at this month’s Franklin City Council meeting.
The firefighters will receive 2 percent salary increases each year of the contract.
Any new full-time firefighters hired after Jan. 1, 2019, will be hired at what Jamieson described as a “second tier salary,” equaling $40,000.
The increase also extends to the hourly wage paid to the 11 minutemen employed by the city. They help the department when any of the full-time firefighters are sick or on vacation, and they can also be called in to help with larger fires.
Firefighters will no longer pay 1.5 percent of their wages for their health care premiums but instead will pay percentages. Totals are 10 percent in both 2019 and 2020 and 15 percent in 2021 and 2022.
Jamieson also said Cadillac tax avoidance language written into the previous contract will remain. This language allows the city to re-examine health benefits should the offered plan be taxed by the government.
The tax was supposed to go into effect this year and has since been pushed to begin in 2022, Jamieson said.
