Members of the International Association of Fire Fighters Local 3322 had a tough choice to make recently: Decline a pay increase of 3.75 percent by the city of St. Charles this year or potentially lose one of the Fire Department’s employees.

All city workers were asked to forgo pay raises in the new fiscal year, which began May 1. Although discussions on new contracts with two police unions will not be settled for at least several months, all other employees — including those represented by the Teamsters Local 330 and International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 196 — accepted the wage freeze.

Members of Local 3322, however, declined to have their contract amended. As a result, St. Charles firefighters might see one of their colleagues laid off.

The city’s $126 million budget for the new fiscal year calls for a 9 percent reduction in spending from the previous year. The city expects to collect $120 million in revenue for the next fiscal year — 4.7 percent less than in 2008-09.

Fire Chief Patrick Mullen is putting together a plan to reduce costs to negate the impact of the wage increases. He will present his plan to the council in July or August, at which time the budget will be amended to reflect the plan.

It’s understandable that the firefighters didn’t want to lose their pay hike. But everyone has to make sacrifices in this tough economy, and the union should have gone along. Let’s hope Mullen finds a way to offset the wage increases and save the job of a firefighter.