New Philadelphia, Ohio (WJER) - The city’s union-represented service and clerical employees will not get raises this year, but that could change in 2020 and 2021 if the city’s financial standing improves.

Mayor Joel Day says AFSCME Local 1958 has agreed to a pay freeze in the first year of their new three-year contract, with wage negotiations to reopen in years two and three. He says they’re thankful to the union for their willingness to make this concession.

“I’m just grateful for their willingness to work with the city as we try to improve our financial condition and the fact that they recognize that pay raises this year would put the city in a position that would just affect the overall operations,” he says. “We’re very appreciative of that.”                            

Day says new businesses coming to town could make future raises a possibility.

“What the reopeners are is we will negotiate pay raises in years two and three,” he says. “That does not necessarily mean that the units will receive them. That all depends on the city’s financial situation.”

The union represents about 80 city employees, or about two-thirds of the city workforce.

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