City Signs New Contract With Dispatchers

The city of Norwich (Conn.) has signed a new union contract with its public safety dispatchers that takes a stab at solving staffing shortages, but only by adding three part-time employees. Union president Robert Jackson said the agreement was a compromise that will augment the existing eight full-time dispatchers–not enough to have two on-duty for all shifts. The new contract provides a 3% raise retroactive to 2007, and a 4% increase each year until 2010. Police chief Louis Fusaro requested one additional full-time dispatcher position, but it was cut from the final city budget by the city council. Read more here.