OIL CITY, Pa. (EYT) — According to Oil City Manager Mark Schroyer, the contract between the City and the IBEW (International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers) is nearing completion.

“We have an agreement in principle,” Schroyer said of the contract between the City and the union when asked about where it stood by councilman Ron Gustafson. “There is a dispute on a language issue concerning seniority.”

Schroyer believes his understanding of the language is correct, but the union disagrees; although, Faunce said he talked to the union president on Thursday and said the union president appears to have the same impression on that language issue as Schroyer.

“Hopefully, we get that straightened out,” Schroyer said.

If the language issue gets straightened out, the new contract will go into effect on January 1, 2019.

If the language issue drags contract talks into 2019 or the union doesn’t get the contract signed prior to January 1, 2019, it could cause some issues for the city’s staff as back wages and benefits will have to be calculated back to the January 1, 2019 date.

“If the contract isn’t signed by January 1, 2019, they will still work under the old contract until it gets signed, and then some issues will arise for our staff having to calculate some back pay and stuff,” Schroyer said.

Schroyer said the monetary part of the contract talks usually goes well.

“You have you two-and-half percent increase or whatever,” Schroyer said. “That part goes well. Some of the seniority issues can become a problem.”