The Longview firefighter’s union has agreed to freeze wages for two years in an effort to help the city bridge its $1.5 million budget gap.

The International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF) Local 828 is the fourth of the city’s five employee unions to make wage concessions this spring. In March, members of the Employees Bargaining Association, American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees AFL-CIO Local 1242-CL, and the International Association of Fire Fighters Local 3375 - Chief Officers Association agreed to take nine unpaid days off this year, which amounts to a 3 percent pay cut.

“This is a significant sacrifice,” City Manager Bob Gregory said at Thursday’s council meeting. “I really want to applaud them for their willingness to step up during this difficult time.”

The IAFF reached a tentative agreement with the city April 17. Under the new contract, firefighters won’t get a pay bump until Dec. 1, 2010, at which point they’ll receive a cost-of-living increase equivalent to the Portland Consumer Price Index, which is a measure of inflation.

Non-union city employees are taking nine unpaid furlough days this year. With the exception of police and fire service, all city operations began shutting down one day a month starting April 10. Without the unpaid furloughs, the city would be forced to lay off workers, officials have said.

Of the city’s five employee unions, the Longview Police Guild is the lone holdout with regard to wage concessions. Rather than bargain on pay freezes, the guild has decided to take its chances at binding arbitration to settle its contract.