The Mason City Council approved a three-year labor agreement with Mason City Firefighters Association Local 41 during regular session Tuesday. The agreement allows for a yearly cost-of-living increase in addition to clothing allowances as well as a repeal of the residency requirement for firefighters to live within 10 miles of the city.
Firefighters in the Local 41 will see a 5% increase in hourly wages in the first year, adjusting to 4.5% in the second and 3.5% in the final year. A new firefighter with an hourly wage of $25.24 would see that rise to $27.30 by 2025.
Employee medical contributions will rise, as well, from 18% to 19% on July 1, then going up another percentage point in the following year. Spouses who elect for city coverage rather than choosing a plan from their employer would pay an additional $100 per month for coverage.
In an attempt to ease recruitment issues, the city requested that the residency requirement for firefighters be removed from the labor agreement, but the rule still stands in city policy. Should the requirement hinder hiring at any point, Mason City Administrator Aaron Burnett can rescind it at his discretion. The city also requested to add sections allowing the fire chief to use his discretion in offering hiring wages and vacation packages for new paramedics.
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At-large Councilmember Tom Thoma asked Perry Buffington, human resource director, “How many paramedics are we short and how are we getting the word out now that we have this great new package for them?”
“I’m pleased to say we’re fully staffed,” replied Buffington. “We had a great team we were working with from the union. Working together we were able to tackle some pretty important issues.”
Other changes to the agreement include holiday pay structure and a renaming of the grievance procedure.