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Firefighters on City’s Christmas Bonus List Despite Dispute

December 5th, 2013 by WCBC Radio

Although they are in the midst of a heated contract dispute, and the union has taken the matter to court- the Cumberland Mayor and City Council did include those firefighters in Local 1715 on the Christmas bonus list for employees.  City firefighters want sit-down negotiations to resume between the city and their union, saying the $25,000 they're asking to keep staffing at safe levels is only a small fraction of hundreds of thousands of dollars the city will save by switching health insurance carriers.  The union has  emphasized the suit for an injunction is not seeking monetary damages, but only to require the city to enter negotiations over the use of funds the city would save by switching the insurance.  The icy relationship may be thawing however with the inclusion of firefighters in the holiday bonus.  On the unions facebook site, a note was posted thanking the city for putting differences aside and working to re-new negoations. Mayor Brian Grim tells WCBC News that nothing has really changed, as the city has said all along it is ready to discuss a new contract any time prior to July 1.





  

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