Selectmen OK union raises

Merrimack- The Board of Selectmen on Thursday approved raises for 30 public works employees.

Under a contract negotiated with the employees’ union, the workers would receive 3 percent raises in each of the next two years, said Selectmen’s Chairman Dick Hinch.

The raises must be OK’d by the Budget Committee and approved by voters at Town Meeting before they can take effect, Hinch said.

The public works employees’ union is the first of four that selectmen will be negotiating salaries with, Hinch said.