Luzerne County Courthouse
                                 File photo

Luzerne County Courthouse

File photo

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Editor’s note: This is the third report in a three-day series further examining the impacts of Luzerne County government union contracts adopted last week.

Luzerne County’s five newest collective bargaining agreements did not make health insurance changes, but the county still hit a milestone this year of fully transitioning all union employees to contributions of at least 12% toward their premiums, analysis of contracts shows.

Unionized prison workers hired before 2020 were the last group to switch from 10% to 12% contributions, and they made that change the start of this year.

Some union employees already have advanced to 15% contributions.

In total, the county has 10 collective bargaining agreements and three memorandums of understanding that are equivalent to union contracts.

The new agreements, approved by county council last week, are with the AFSCME residual union, AFSCME court-related union and Teamsters Local 401-represented employees in Children and Youth, Mental Health/Developmental Services and the Area Agency on Aging.

Their health insurance contributions, which did not change:

• Residual: 12% for employees hired through 2013 and 15% for those hired since 2014

• Court-related: 12% for workers hired through the end of April 2013 and 15% for those hired on or after May 1 that year

• Children and Youth, Mental Health and the Aging Agency have identical provisions: 12% for those hired through March 26, 2018, and 15% after that date.

The contributions in other unions, based on a review of the agreements:

• Detectives: 12% through 2023 and 15% in 2024

• Prison: 12% for those hired through 2019 and 15% for workers hired since 2020

• Court-appointed professional employees (probation/domestic relations support officers): 12% for workers hired through 2019 and 15% for those employed since 2020

• Court-appointed support staff: 12% for those hired through 2015 and 15% for workers hired since 2016

• Assistant district attorneys/public defenders: 15% for all employees. Workers hired through Sept. 1, 2020, had been paying 12% but changed to 15% contributions this year.

First-level professional supervisors in three human service agencies — Children and Youth, Mental Health and the Aging Agency — have memorandums of understanding approved by council.

Under these memorandums, supervisors in all three agencies hired through 2016 pay 12% toward health insurance, while those employed since 2017 contribute 15%.

Non-union workers

Prior county commissioners started requiring non-union workers to pay 10% toward health insurance 18 years ago, in April 2004, saying the action would set the bar for a push to gradually move unions to that target.

Now that unions have surpassed that benchmark by paying at least 12%, the subject of increasing the non-union percentage likely will come up during 2023 budget discussions.

When the topic came up in the past, the administration has argued that non-union workers are not assured of raises annually, and they also must undergo annual performance evaluations.

Contribution amounts

What’s the difference between employee contributions for the county’s Highmark HMO coverage?

This year, employees are paying these amounts every two weeks at 10%, 12% and 15%, records show:

• Single: $33.57/$40.28/$50.35

• Employee/spouse: $93.99/$112.79/$140.99

• Employee/child: $67.14/$80.57/$100.71

• Employee/children: $83.92/$100.71/$125.89

• Family: $104.07/$124.88/$156.10

Overall, the county has budgeted a $20.72 million expense for health care this year and $9.25 million in reimbursements to help offset costs on the revenue side.

Reach Jennifer Learn-Andes at 570-991-6388 or on Twitter @TLJenLearnAndes.