Nearly four months after the Joplin city council approved salary gains for the city's police officers, they approved a similar raise for firefighters Tuesday night. KRPS's Fred Fletcher-Fierro has more.
On an 8 and 0 vote, with one council member absent, the city council approved, on an emergency basis, to amend Joplin's 2023 city budget to allow for 11.2% wage increases for the city's firefighters.
The labor agreementbetween the city and The Joplin Professional Firefighters IAFF Local 59 was approved last month, with 93% of the union's members voting in favor. Councilmember Chuck Copple, a former firefighter for the city of Joplin, spoke in favor of Tuesday's agenda item.
"I feel that this is our responsibility to take care of this and help reduce that number, make it easier for you to keep personal. Make it easier for our men and women to work their normal shifts and have their normal time off. And not be doing, instead of 56 hours a week, doing 80+ hours a week."
The revised agreement supersedes the May 2022 Labor Agreement approved by the City Council. The updated contract between the IAFF Local 59 and the city of Joplin expires on December 30, 2027. For 89 9 KRPS News, I'm Fred Fletcher-Fierro
