Talks between city, workers make progress

The end of this year's contract negotiations for public works employees is in sight, both sides said, after union and city representatives reached agreement on all but two of the union's seven unresolved contract proposals Wednesday night.

A pay raise and the city's contribution to health insurance premiums are still being negotiated. Even so, representatives of both sides expressed optimism after a two-hour meeting that settled five contract items.

"I think everything went super," said Darren Johnson, president of Local 336 of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees,...