After 7 years, Buffalo firefighters could finally be getting a raise. The city's control board approved the wage hike that was an arbitrated deal worked out in court. The 5.5% raise means firefighters will see a little over $3,000 more in their paychecks per year. The negotiations between the firefighters union, Local 282 and the city over this deal has been ugly at times. And while firefighters are pleased to finally get this raise, some are still bitter over the fight to get it. "How do both sides sit down when you have a control board looking over the top of everything? Its extremely hard to. How do you negotiate with 3 parties?" asked Peter Margerum, Vice President of Local 282.

Negotiations between the union and the city started to fail back in 2003. By April of 2004, the control board imposed a wage freeze. Then the union filed a lawsuit over the arbitration award in 2005. Finally today the firefighters are getting more money in their pockets but not all of it. Retroactive pay dates back only to last July.

Lt. Daniel Flaherty, with Engine 32 said, "It's a bitter taste. And from a morale perspective, morale has been deeply affected by everything that has happened over the last 7 years without a raise."

Mayor Byron Brown said, "We have made the case to the control board and its membership that the raises are merited, that we can afford to pay the raises."

But while some concede this is a step in the right direction, there is still bitterness about a paycheck that was long overdue. Margerum said, "When the city has over $100 million dollars in the bank, we don't care which account you take it out of. Just pay us."

Its not a done deal though. Buffalo's Common Council will have to approve this wage hike as well. However, Mayor Brown has been in talks with lawmakers and he's confident that will happen.