New county clerical contract fixes sick day issue and salary parity
The Perry County Board approved a three-year contract with Laborers Local 773 which affects the clerical staff in the Government Building, Highway Department and the State's Attorney's Office. The contract is retroactive to Dec. 1, 2013 and will expire Nov. 30, 2016.
The previous contract expired in 2011, however the county and union worked out a two-year wage agreement which expired Nov. 30, 2013.
The new contract reduces the number of sick days for new hires from 12 to 11 and sets a maximum accumulation of 30 sick days. Likewise, personal days are reduced from six to five for new hires. New language prevents the conversion of personal days to sick or vacation days.
New hires can accumulate only 20 vacation days and carry over only 10 to the next year.
Commissioner Sam Robb said one of his goals with the new contract was to follow the auditor's recommendation to reduce the accumulation of sick, personal and vacation time which has become a liability.
"There have been situations where retirees have been able to sit home for an entire year receiving full pay and full benefits because they had so much time accumulated, " Robb said.
Another goal was to equalize salaries. Robb cited an example of three employees with the same number of years of service in three different departments making three different salaries.
He believes this contract fixes that.
Like the recently approved contract with the Highway Department workers, this contact sets a new starting salary for new hires. New clerical staff will make $23,848 per year or $11.47 per hour.
Board Chairman Bobby Kelly said the county had hired employees in the past who immediately left for better wages. This allows Perry County to be competitive. All employees will receive a $915 raise the first year of the contract. Raises of no less than one percent and no more than three percent will be awarded in the subsequent years. The exact amount will be based on statistics from the Bureau of Labor. An annual cost of living increase of $425 is also specified in the contract. The final issue was to include language that would allow the county to choose a new, customized health insurance plan in the future.