The Portland City Council on Monday approved a labor agreement that provides pay raises to roughly 140 unionized city employees. Under the terms of the agreement, members of the Professional and Technical City Employee Association will receive a raise of 1 percent retroactive to July 7, 2013, and another 1 percent raise retroactive to July 6 of this year. In January, the employees will receive another 1 percent wage increase, followed by a 3 percent raise in July.

Tom Caiazzo, the city’s chief labor negotiator, said the pay increases are largely intended to help offset increases in health care and pension costs borne by employees. The Professional and Technical City Employee Association is the first of the eight unions to successfully negotiate a contract with the city this year.

The City Council postponed votes on Monday for retroactive 4 percent pay raises for the city’s lawyer and city clerk as well as a new contract agreement with the Police Superior Officers Benevolent Association. The police association members have yet to ratify the latest proposal for three 1 percent raises – two of which would be applied retroactively – followed by a 3 percent raise in January 2016, Caiazzo said.

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