DECATUR, Ill. (WAND) - Decatur firefighters are getting a raise after the Decatur City Council approved their new contract on Monday evening.
Firefighters will get a 4% raise, back-dated to January, and 4% raises at the beginning of each year through 2028.
The union moved to arbitration after nine months of negotiations without a deal.
Health insurance and sick leave were also updated in the contract.
The city council also approved almost $4 million for a lead line replacement project.
Burdick Plumbing and Heating Company will replace galvanized lead lines, which the EPA requires all cities to do by 2030.
The project would help cover the cost of replacing about 6,600 city lines, as well as "goosenecks" and lead pipes from city lines to individual homes.
Homeowners must pay to replace any lead pipes inside their house.
An Illinois EPA loan is expected to cover the cost of the city project.
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