DETAILS WERE RELEASED WEDNESDAY, REGARDING A TENTATIVE AGREEMENT REACHED BETWEEN WATSONVILLE CITY LEADERS AND FIREFIGHTERS. THE DEAL IS SIMILAR TO WHAT THE POLICE UNION AGREED TO, AND INCLUDES AN INCREASE OF FIREFIGHTER-CONTRIBUTIONS TOWARD THEIR RETIREMENT, SUSPENSIONS OF SCHEDULED RAISES AND CITY CONTRIBUTIONS TO HEALTH CARE, AS WELL AS A NEW PENSION PLAN FOR EMPLOYEES HIRED AFTER JULY 1ST. IN TOTAL , THE AGREEMENT REPRESENTS A 9-AND-A-HALF PERCENT PAY CUT FOR FIREFIGHTERS. THE WATSONVILLE CITY COUNCIL IS EXPECTED TO RATIFY THE AGREEMENT AT THEIR MEETING SCHEDULED FOR NEXT WEEK.
