They plow city streets, pick up city garbage, and dispatch help to emergency calls. They, are the more than 500 members of AFSCME Local 264, one of buffalo's largest unions. For the first time in years they have a new 9 year deal with the Queen City.

The vote talley wasn't even close, 374 yes votes to 20 no votes. For dispatcher Sheila Bergmann it means a pay upgrade and more money. "Our pay raise, your insurance benefits haven't changed, our health benefits. So, we had a couple of little givebacks that weren't to important to me," she said.

Those give backs include minor changes in health care coverage, employee drug testing, residency requirements, and a longer vesting time on health care coverage for retirees. In exchange, union members get retro active pay raises. The agreement goes back to 2002 and will run through 2011.

It is give and take both sides can live with. "These people have been without a contract for a long time. They needed some money desperately.We've made some concessions. I don't think the concessions in the long run will hurt us," said AFSCME Local 264 President Bill Travers. "We provide a 20% raise over the 9 years of the contract period. But we also get residency for new workers going forward. We get some management and work rule changes that we think are very important," added Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown.

The AFSCME contract will now go to the Buffalo Common Council and Control Board for approval.