It’s good that the Wichita City Council and city firefighters’ union finally resolved their contract impasse. The new contract, which the council unanimously approved Tuesday, gives all union members a 4 percent pay raise each year through 2009, plus an additional 2.5 percent merit-based increase for about half of the members. Some citizens have complained that there aren’t as many fires anymore, so the firefighters don’t need a big pay raise. But Wichita salaries need to remain competitive with other cities. And as the chemical fire in Valley Center showed, when you need firefighters, you really need them.
Posted by Phillip Brownlee
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