AUBURN – Negotiators hope to have a long-awaited union contract between the city and the Auburn firefighters settled in January.

“At this point, we’re trying to come up with some packages to see what we can agree to,” said Mike Scott, president of the Auburn Firefighters Association Local 797. “Staffing levels are the big concern for us. We want to make sure we have enough guys on the truck to keep everything at a safe level.”

City and union leaders are scheduled to continue discussions on Friday.

Scott said the union wanted to make sure that the department had at least three firefighters per truck on duty at all times.

But Scott said he thinks the union will agree to changes in health insurance coverage, adopting a deal similar to one the police union adopted in May.

“It’s the same plan the rest of the city is on,” Scott said. “That’s something we were really sticking on, but I think we’ve come to a common place on that.”

Under that plan, co-pays for service increase from $10 to $15. Employees are liable to pay 10 percent of extended medical costs, such as hospital fees. The firefighters’ current plan pays 100 percent of extended care fees.

City Manager Pat Finnigan said she’s confident the group can reach some agreement in the next couple of weeks.

“It has to go before the union and the City Council, so both groups have to sign off,” she said. “They need time to do that, and we are working very hard to get this wrapped up.”

The current contract expired on June 30. Finnigan said she’s had discussions last for much longer, but few have been as contentious. This round of talks has seen firefighters picket City Council meetings and protest along Auburn roads.

“We’ve been in negotiations for two years on some contracts, but we’ve worked together,” Finnigan said. “It’s a different feeling when both groups feel like they were getting something accomplished.”

The city and the union have been at odds since July 2003, after the city delayed a two percent raise spelled out in a February 2003 contract.

Firefighters balked, seeking binding arbitration to get the raise. When state arbitrators ruled in favor of the city, the union sued. The Maine Superior Court ruled in favor of the city October.

“We could have appealed again, but we just decided it was time to move on,” Scott said.

Scott said the union has another reason to reach a deal.

“For the union, our goal has a been to get this settled before January ends, because that’s when our terms are up,” Scott said. The union will elect a new president and new negotiators in February.

“So we’d like to get this settled before we bring new people in,” Scott said.