The town of Grand Falls-Windsor and CUPE Local 1349 have agreed to return to the negotiating table.

Talks between the town and the union reached an impasse back in May.

Mayor Barry Manuel says the town will not be offering any further information or updates until the outcome of the upcoming round of negotiations is known.

However, the union is calling a move by the town a “low blow”.

They say they received a letter yesterday from the town, that says they would allow the union to pay monthly premiums for group health insurance for unionized workers if the union agrees that fire dispatchers continue to work during a lockout.

The union says the town has volunteer firefighters who can be sent out to the scene of a fire during a strike, however, dispatchers are not deemed essential.

They call the move “distasteful”, and says that no employee should be threatened with the loss of health benefits.