Joliet Firefighters Should Live Within 50 Miles And Get 4 Years Of Raises: City Hall

(The following edited press release came from Rosemaria DiBenedetto, Joliet's director of media engagement and communications.)

JOLIET, IL — At Tuesday night's meeting, the Joliet City Council will consider a proposed labor agreement between the City of Joliet and the Joliet Fire Officers, Local 2369 of the International Association of Fire Fighters and the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO).

Among the key components of the proposed agreement is a residency provision that allows fire officers to live within 50 miles of the intersection of Jefferson Street and Essington Road, which aligns with the recently approved Collective Bargaining Agreement with Joliet Fire Fighters Local 44. This expanded residency is part of the city’s effort to attract applicants from not only Joliet but also its neighboring communities.

The proposed contract covers a four-year term, effective January 1, 2025, through December 31, 2028, and follows several months of negotiations between union representatives and the city’s labor team.

If approved, the agreement will take another step in the city’s ongoing efforts to maintain strong partnerships with its public safety personnel while responsibly managing taxpayer resources, according to DiBenedetto's press release.

DiBenedetto's press release did not include any information pertaining to the salary increases that the city of Joliet is proposing to give the Joliet firefighters/paramedics.

However, according to the Joliet City Council information packets, the four-year term from Jan. 1, 2025 through December 31, 2028, will contain wage increases of 3.25 percent in 2025, 3.25 percent in 2026, 3.25 percent in 2027, and 3.25 percent in 2028. There will also be conversion of the paramedic stipend from a lump sum to a percentage of base wages, with an average of a 3.0 percent increase spread out over 4 years; new or revised language on various operational issues including staffing on a variety of equipment; radius for training travel pay; grievance timelines; and eligibility, promotion and discipline for 40-hour positions.

“We value the essential work of our employees and are pleased to bring forward a contract that supports both the workforce and the long-term interests of the city,” City Manager Beth Beatty said in Joliet's press release.