Jonathan Bullington / TribLocal reporter

After an extended and contentious contract dispute, the city of Evanston and Evanston Firefighters Association Local 742 have reached a tentative contract agreement, city officials announced Saturday.

Firefighters are expected to vote on the agreement August 30, 31 and September 1, said union President Brian Scott. Evanston’s City Council could vote to approve the contract at its September 13 meeting, said Assistant City Manager Marty Lyons.

While declining to divulge specifics of the two-year agreement, City Manager Wally Bobkiewicz said in a statement that the city will reinstate the three firefighters laid off July 31.

“Firefighters made economic concessions in recognition of the city’s difficult economic circumstances while working in good faith with the city to ensure the maintenance of safe and effective staffing levels for the term of the agreement,” Bobkiewicz said.

Changes to staffing levels had been at the heart of the contract dispute, with the union seeking any changes to staffing or service levels to be subject to negotiations. The impasse caused by the dispute had led both groups to file unfair labor practice complaints against each other with the Illinois Labor Relations Board.

Both complaints could be dropped if the tentative contract agreement is approved by both sides.

Bobkiewicz said the union and Interim Fire Chief Greg Klaiber have agreed to meet on a continual basis to make “good faith efforts” to conserve future costs and maintain a proper emergency response for the city.

“With continued good faith efforts, both parties are extremely confident that they will be successful,” Bobkiewicz said.

jbullington@tribune.com