Norwich firefighters granted raise

Norwich – Less than 24 hours after the city's paid firefighters fought two apartment house fires, the City Council Monday night unanimously approved a 2 percent wage increase for the firefighters' union in a one-year wage adjustment agreed upon after the union accepted two years of contract concessions due to budget cuts.

The council emerged after a brief closed-door discussion of the proposed contract and voted without comment to approve the deal with the International Association of Fire Fighters, Local 892.

The raises will be retroactive to Aug. 2, when the union ratified the contract, said city Human Resources Director Brigid Marks. The firefighters union did not give up wages during two years of concessions, but did give up clothing allowances and other benefits.

The current contract with the union expires June 30.