Sacramento's firefighters’ union and city management have made a preliminary deal to maintain jobs that city officials hope will be approved by union members later this week. A union spokeswoman, meanwhile, is saying that no one is “thrilled” about the proposed agreement.

The deal, which was arranged Friday and made public Monday, would maintain 50 positions in the city’s fire department and take $5 million off the city's deficit, said Gus Vina, an assistant city manager who is negotiating with the city’s unions. A key part of the agreement is that the firefighters would give up their 5 percent cost-of-living pay increases that had been scheduled for July, Vina said.

Instead of the 5 percent in July, the firefighters would receive a 1 percent raise in July 2010, and a 2 percent raise in 2011. “So they get basically 3 percent back on the 5 percent they forego,” he said.

“We’ve been working towards an agreement for many months now,” Vina said. “So I’m very happy that we’ve reached tentative agreement with the fire union.”

Sacramento Area Firefighters Local 522 spokeswoman Robin Swanson said that the union’s firefighters don’t want to see layoffs, adding that it’s their job to save lives. The firefighters have been willing to make major concessions, she said, including cutting their own pay. She said she didn’t think anyone was “thrilled about” the tentative deal.

The union’s members will vote on the proposed agreement Wednesday, Thursday and Friday this week, according to Swanson.

The city’s $50 million deficit has shrunk to $43.6 as a result of a recent deal that was approved by the Sacramento Police Officers Association, Vina said. If Local 522 accepts the proposed agreement, the city's deficit would be $38.6, he noted.

Vina said he hopes to know whether the agreement passes by Friday afternoon.

Kathleen Haley is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.