The Chehalis Fire Department has a new labor agreement with the city it serves that, among other things, sets salary increases and invests in the fire department's gym.
The Chehalis City Council ratified a new collective bargaining agreement (CBA) with the city's union-represented fire department staff during its regular business meeting Monday, Feb. 23. The agreement, according to a City of Chehalis briefing, comes more than six months after negotiations began in July of 2025.
The same briefing states that the new agreement addressed primary concerns raised by the fire department’s union representatives including wages, health care, management rights, clothing and equipment and more.
The newest CBA between the city and its fire department staff, represented by the International Association of Firefighters Local 2510, goes into effect immediately and extends through the end of 2028. That being said, it only sets wage increases for the next two years and leaves a 2028 cost of living wage increase open for future negotiations.
The agreement also stipulated an additional wage increase in 2027 should the City of Chehalis successfully complete its current effort to annex the entirety of its urban growth area (UGA).
According to the CBA, the fire department’s union employees will receive a 3% base wage increase from their 2025 salaries, effective immediately. The wage scale included in the agreement shows 2026 wages with the increase could range from $6,044 a month to $8,815 a month.
For 2027, the agreement stipulates two different scenarios. The first arranges for two 2.5% base wage increases, one on the first of the new year and the other Aug. 1, should the city successfully complete its current effort to annex the entire UGA. That results in an overall 5% base wage salary increase from the 2026 amounts and would raise the salary range at the department to $6,346.20 on the bottom end and $9,255.75 on the top end.
In the other scenario where the city, for whatever reason, is unable to complete its current annexation effort, fire department staff will receive a lesser 3% base salary increase. That change would put the salary range in 2027 at $6,225.32 on the low end and $9,079.45 on the high end.
The one expense in the agreement called out during the meeting was an at first astonishing $10,000 investment into the department's gym and equipment. During the meeting, Mayor Tony Ketchum briefly called into question that agreement stating that he did not recall that being included in the agreement.
Chehalis City Manager Stacy Denham responded to the concern and said that the agreement to pay for new gym equipment had been discussed early on in contract negotiations and then had forgotten about until it was brought up at the last minute.
Denham admitted that the cost could seem alarming at first glance but attempted to soothe concerns by informing the council that city staff agreed to the investment because it was paired with canceling the gym memberships for staff members that the city currently pays for.
According to Denham, the investment in the gym to help keep local fire department staff will, in the long run, be cheaper than paying for monthly Thorbeckes memberships as the city currently does.
“It's a trade off, but actually over time, it's actually a savings to the city,” Denham said.
