New Baltimore Firefighters Join Union

will join a union and see a slight pay cut under the recently settled contract, Mayor Larry Smith said this week.

Besides Chief Ken Lawfield, the department is staffed by approximately 25 paid-on-call firefighters. Previously, they were paid from a pool of money designated for the department that was divided among the staff, Smith said.

Under the contract, they will join the Michigan Association of Fire Fighters, creating hourly wages and unionizing the department. The exact difference in pay has yet to be determined because the new system has not taken effect, he said.