The city of Everett and the firefighters union, Local 46, have signed a new contract that is retroactive to this past January.
The union represents about 170 firefighters and paramedics. The contract covers 2018 and 2019. It awards a 3 percent cost-of-living increase in each of those years. The firefighters will pay 5 percent of their medical insurance costs in 2018, the result of earlier arbitration. That will go up to 10 percent in 2019, which is what most city employees pay.
The lack of a contract had played into past tensions between the union and City Hall. Mayor Cassie Franklin, who started the job in January, has said she is taking steps to repair that relationship.
“We are very happy with the collaborative effort,” union President Paul Gagnon said.