Boston Globe: City, firefighters reach agreement ‘in principle’

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http://www.boston.com/news/politics/conventions/article... /

City, firefighters reach agreement ‘in principle’

Talk of accord lifts cloud over convention

By Rick Klein and Thomas Farragher, Globe Staff | July 25, 2004

The City of Boston and firefighter union officials last night were finalizing a contract settlement that would avert the prospect of pickets at tonight's delegation parties, a big breakthrough in the labor unrest that has plagued convention planners in the final frenzied weeks before the Democratic Party gathering.

As of midnight, the two sides came to an agreement "in principle" that they were planning to put in writing at 9 a.m. today. Details were not immediately available, but a firefighters union official said the pact would roughly mirror the financial package given to Boston's police unions last week.

The stakes were high for the city and the Democratic Party since firefighters and police officers had threatened to protest at tonight's parties if no contract had been signed, and many delegates had pledged to stay away if they did. The talks had broken off yesterday afternoon, with both sides saying they saw little chance for progress.

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