Boston Council Committee Advances $19.4 Million in Fire, School Labor Contracts

BOSTON — February 2, 2026 — Boston City Council committee advances $19.4 million in firefighter and school administrator contracts toward a Wednesday vote. The Committee of the Whole, chaired by District 9 Councillor Liz Braden and run by District 6 Councillor Ben Weber, reviewed four dockets Monday covering two collective bargaining agreements: an $18,118,488 package for IAFF Local 718 Boston firefighters and a $1,307,901 package for the Boston Association of School Administrators and Supervisors. Budget Director Jim Williamson confirmed the transfers come from a $102.7 million collective bargaining reserve passed in the fiscal year 2026 budget, of which $65.8 million had already been drawn through seven prior agreements this fiscal year. The firefighters contract, covering July 2024 through June 2028, provides a 2.5 percent base wage increase in 2024 and 2 percent annually thereafter, embeds longevity payments into base pay at five, ten, 15, 20 and 25 years of service, and adds a new line-of-duty death benefit covering presumptive health conditions. IAFF Local 718 representative Sam Dillon told the committee the membership "overwhelmingly ratified this contract in a general membership vote just prior to Christmas" and asked for a unanimous council vote.