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County workers OK union contract

By Amy Zalar 2 min read

The Fayette County commissioners’ residual union employees have approved a four-year contract, joining court-related and court-appointed union employees at the Fayette County Courthouse in ratifying the pact. The commissioners’ residual employees include those in the offices of the controller, commissioners, voter registration, tax assessment, treasurer, tax claim, recorder of deeds, emergency management (911), maintenance, mail room and the Fayette Area Coordinated Transportation, according to the union.

The offer, voted on late last week by the commissioners’ residual employees unit, was the same one rejected by the group last month, according to Jim Moore, county human resource manager.

Moore said the voting employees approved the contract with a vote of 66-27.

The contract calls for wage increases of 3 percent for 2006 and 3.5 percent for each of the years 2007, 2008 and 2009.

The employees affected by the contract are members of the Service Employees International Union, Local 668.

Union officials previously confirmed the court-related employees approved the pact by a 16-2 vote and the court-appointed employees voted 12-5 in favor of the contract during the June vote.

The commissioners’ residual employees previously rejected the contract in a 52-27 vote.

Rose Cindrick, business agent for SEIU Local 668, previously said that in addition to receiving the wage increases, the cost of the employees’ health care will remain the same in the contract.

She explained that county employees currently pay a percentage of the insurance premium, and of the three different plans, the most popular includes costs of $45 per month for single coverage, $75 per month for coverage for two people and $90 per month for coverage for three or more individuals.

The court-appointed employees include those in the office of the court administrator, domestic relations, juvenile probation and the secretaries for the magisterial district judges. The court-related employees include those in the offices of prothonotary, sheriff, public defender, clerk of courts, register of wills, jury commissioners and district attorney.

All employees had been working under the terms of the last contract since it expired Dec. 31, 2005.

The proposal was previously presented to the county commissioners, who must ratify the contract.

Felice Associates Inc. of Greensburg represented the county during the negotiations. Moore explained that the agreement will be reviewed for errors and will then to forwarded to the county commissioners for their signatures.

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