YORBA LINDA

City employees are expected to have a new labor agreement this afternoon; they have worked for the last month without a contract. The city’s 43 employees will meet with union representatives at noon to vote on the new agreement, which includes higher wages and better retirement benefits, said Larry Lykins of the Orange County Employee Assn. “It wasn’t a hostile negotiation,” he said. “The process took a little longer than we expected because the city was slow at getting direction from the council.”

The City Council is also expected to approve the contract during a special closed session at 2 p.m. today.