AUSTIN (KXAN) — The bargaining team with the Austin-Travis County EMS Association agreed to a deal with the city about a four-year contract, according to union president Selena Xie.

“It’s been a long two-year process getting to this point, and it’s a step closer to pay parity that we’ve been asking for,” she said.

The city confirmed Tuesday it had “reached a tentative Meet and Confer Agreement,” which “addresses critical staffing shortages and wage adjustments.”

Xie said regarding next steps, union members will vote on the contract, and from there, it will go to the city council for a final vote. The city noted that vote would likely happen in mid-September.

The city also released a joint statement from Xie and Austin-Travis County EMS Chief Rob Luckritz, who said everyone worked together to create a “progressive, but fair agreement that will take this Department into the next era of the developing Emergency Medical Services profession.”

“I am thrilled to announce [the association and the city] agreed to a four-year contract that will give well-deserved raises to medics and position us to recruit the best people to serve our community,” Council Member Alison Alter said in a social media post.