PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI) — Despite the measure being signed into law , municipal leaders continue to express concerns about new legislation that provides municipal workers and teachers with what critics say are “lifetime contracts.”

The bill, which Gov. Gina Raimondo signed Tuesday, ensures wages and benefits for municipal workers and teachers will continue automatically even after a contract expires if both sides have yet to come to a new agreement.

Raimondo blocked a previous version of the contract-continuation bill back in 2017, but wrote in her veto message at the time that she would be open to signing if changes were made.

She said the original bill allowed for the entire contract to remain intact and this time around is a compromise.

“This bill says it’s just wages and benefits, which means it still leaves the mayors with a lot of levers,” Raimondo said. “They can do layoffs, they can change schedules, they can change programming.”

She also said the new law leaves lots of incentives for both sides to come to the bargaining table.

But North Providence Mayor Charlie Lombardi, like other members of the Rhode Island League of Cities and Towns, disagrees. He said the new law “has taken away my toolbox.”

“I can negotiate,” Lombardi said. “I don’t need anyone from the General Assembly to come here and tell us, or our town, how to negotiate.”

Lombardi argued Rhode Islanders will see higher property tax bills when unions demand raises in their next contracts.

But Bob Walsh, executive director of the National Education Association Rhode Island teachers union, argued the law only restores what was standard practice in the state until about 10 years ago.

“This keeps wages stagnant,” Walsh said. “This does not give raises. So I think the mayors are probably protesting a little bit too much, and this is a right that they never even thought they had until a court decision a decade ago.”

Walsh added that employees and management should both “want collective bargaining to be a calm process.”