Poway, firefighters reach accord

The agreement calls for the 48 employees to pay 4 percent of the 9 percent allocation toward those benefits, with the city picking up the remaining 5 percent, according to city spokesman Eric Heidermann.

Earlier this year, the city reached agreements with its other two employee groups, each of which agreed to increase their retirement contributions by the same 1 percent amount. The retirement benefits of those groups amounts to 7 percent of their salaries. The other groups are Teamsters Local 911, which represents 103 public works and maintenance workers, and the management group, which represents 79 employees.

With all three group agreeing to the 1 percent contribution increase, the city’s general fund will save $89,000 through next June, Heidermann said.