Hundreds of workers in Buffalo's City Hall are getting a pay raise as the city has agreed to a contract with its white collar unionized employees.
The 430 members of Local 650 will receive an immediate pay hike of just over eight percent to cover the past four years without a contract.
Over the life of the new eight-year deal they'll get a nine percent increase for a total pay hike of 17 percent.
In exchange, the union gave up retiree health insurance, which Mayor Byron Brown says will save city taxpayers money. Brown says it could also lead to more successful negotiations.
"Getting a contract with one bargaining unit is very helpful to achieving contracts with other bargaining units," Brown said.
"We've had a very good relationship with Local 650 and we're hoping that the contract...will lead to contracts with other unions whose contracts are outstanding at this point."
Brown says the administration is also looking to cut overtime costs in other areas.
"Our goal is to hire, this year, another 125 firefighters. And, I think, we anticipate hiring another 28 police officers."
Brown says the city will be in a hiring mode for the next few years.