North Olmsted firefighters and the city have completed contract negotiations for the 2015 through 2017 Collective Bargaining Agreement. According to the city, Mayor Kevin Kennedy will present the CBA to City Council for approval at its next council meeting Nov. 4. Kennedy said in a statement that he is pleased with the results of the negotiations and thanked the union and its members. ‘We were able to work through the contract negotiations seamlessly and reached a very positive result,’ he said. Union President James Penner said in a statement that there were good labor management meetings. ‘The union and the administration worked well together,’ he said. ‘We look forward to maintaining a productive relationship in the years to come.’ Public Safety Director Donald Glauner attributed the outcome to the support that Kennedy and safety forces received from residents. ‘It’s helpful when residents show their overwhelming support for their mayor, like they did in the last election,’ he said. ‘It sends a message to all employee groups that they like the direction that the mayor is taking the city and that our mayor will be effective for years to come.’ According to the announcement, the current contract began in January 2012 and will end Dec. 31. The new contract will be effective for three years starting Jan. 1. In other firefighter-related news, firefighter Matthew Peters was named a new lieutenant during the Oct. 21 council meeting. Peters has been with the fire department since June 20, 1996, according to another announcement.
