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Luzerne County’s 80 probation and domestic relations support officers have a new union agreement.

Unanimously approved by nine of the 11 county council members present at Tuesday’s meeting, the four-year contract provides raises of 1 percent this year, 1.5 percent in 2020 and 2 percent in both 2021 and 2022.

According to the administration’s summary of changes and a review of the last contract that expired Dec. 31:

Top-rate employees in this Court Appointed Professional Employees Association union currently receive $68,534 annually.

Newly hired officers will start at the same salary in the last contract — $36,000.

Instead of the percentage raises, new employees will receive step increases on each annual anniversary, boosting their compensation to $45,156 after seven years.

Under the prior contract, the step increases elevated the salary of newcomers to $42,793 over seven years.

Some other union gains in the new agreement:

• Its annual clothing/equipment allowance will remain at $500 for the first two years but increase to $550 in 2021 and 2022. The county will continue to provide flashlights, handcuffs, radios, belt pouches for disposable gloves, arrest jackets and duffel bags to carry equipment.

• Employees summoned to work outside their regular shifts must be paid for at least five hours instead of the prior four.

• On-call workers will continue receiving $625 per week in the first two years, but the stipend increases to $650 in 2021 and 2022.

County benefits

While existing union workers will continue paying 10 percent toward health insurance through 2020, their contribution rises to 12 percent in 2021.

New officers will pay 10 percent this year and 15 percent in 2020.

The county’s non-union employees have been paying 10 percent toward health insurance since 2004. Contributions have been phased into union contracts since then, with an increasing number of unionized employees now paying 12 and 15 percent. County Manager C. David Pedri has said he would consider increasing the non-union percentage in 2020.

Employees at the 10 percent contribution must pay $29 to $89 every two weeks, depending on the type of coverage selected, in 2019. At 12 percent, the payments every two weeks range from $34 to $106.

The number of sick days allotted to probation/domestic relations officers annually will remain at 17, although the new contract reduces the number to 12 for officers hired after Jan. 1, 2020.

Most of the union’s workers are at the maximum pay, and the new contract attempts to nudge some to consider leaving by providing a limited-offer enhanced sick leave buyback option.

Under usual circumstances, officers can cash in up to 60 unused sick days at $40 per day upon retirement or death.

The incentive allows the union’s workers to cash in up to 35 unused days at their regular hourly rate of pay. There are two windows to be eligible in 2019 and 2020 that require irrevocable written notice of departure. In 2019, notice must be provided by March 31 to leave employment by June 30. Next year, the notice deadline is Jan. 31 to leave by March 31.

Vacation days remain the same, but the new contract says they must be earned as the year progresses instead of being credited in total at the start of the year, starting in 2020.

For example, an employee entitled to 18 vacation days would be credited for 1.5 per month instead of all 18 at once, said county Administrative Services Division Head David Parsnik.

Parsnik said the administration has been trying to make all union contracts more uniform, and the accrual system has been negotiated into several other collective bargaining agreements. The earn-as-you-go system prevents employees who resign or retire early in the year from receiving a year’s worth of vacation days, he said.

As with other employees, probation officers receive an increasing number of vacation days with more years of service, starting with five days after six months of employment. After 20 years, officers receive 25 days plus a half day for every year beyond, with a cap of 27.5 days.

Some other contract provisions that remain the same in the new agreement:

• Officers must work 35 hours per week, which does not include a one-hour daily unpaid lunch.

• The union receives 12 holidays, which is standard for all county employees.

• Annual length-of-service bonuses are provided — a percentage formula capped at $5,700 for employees hired before Sept. 2, 2016, and flat amounts for employees hired after that date ranging from $300 for those with eight to 10 years of service up to $1,500 for 25 or more years of service.

Parsnik said negotiations were “fairly smooth.”

“I think it’s a good deal for both sides,” he said.

Union head Brad Altavilla said negotiations started last May and that he was very pleased both sides were able to work through “bumps in the road” without binding arbitration.

“Our union is very satisfied with the outcome, and we are very happy with the fact that we were able to sit down and have fair and open bargaining meetings with the county,” Altavilla said.

The Luzerne County Courthouse, where county council on Tuesday decided against repealing a county residency requirement for top management positions.
https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/web1_luzcocourthouse01-4.jpg.optimal.jpgThe Luzerne County Courthouse, where county council on Tuesday decided against repealing a county residency requirement for top management positions.

By Jennifer Learn-Andes

[email protected]

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