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Tuesday, April 07, 2015
Bethlehem Township Approves Two Union Contracts
With little discussion, Bethlehem Township Commissioners approved two new union contracts at their April 6 meeting. By a vote of 4-0, with Pat Breslin being absent, three-year agreements were ratified with AFSCME and the Teamsters. AFSCME is the bargaining unit for around 25 employees in public works and the physical plant and information services departments. The Teamsters represents about ten clerical employees. The agreements run from 2015-2017.
These contracts include signing bonuses of $1,100 for each AFSCME participant and $1000 for each Teamster. There will also be payraises of two percent this and next year, followed by a three percent increase in 2017, the final year of the contracts.
Health insurance coverage will cost workers $25 per month for single coverage and $50 per month for families. In 2017, that cost will double. There will be slight increases in the co-pays. A doctor's office visit goes up from $10 to $15 and ER visits go up from $25 to $75, but urgent care co-pay decreases from $35 to $20.
Both contracts will decrease sick days for new hires. They will drop from 15 sick days with a 50% buyback to 10 sick days with a 75% buyback.
AFSCME has also agreed to switch to a defined contribution pension plan for new hires. The Teamsters had agreed to a similar switch in 2013.
How does this affect the staff?
A heavy equipment operator with three years of experience, and who is currently paid $25.80 per hour, will see his ages climb to $27,10 per hour by 2017. A Clerk 1, who starts at an hourly wage of $15.75, will see that climb to $16.88 in 2017.
14 comments:
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Yeah but Pat Bresylin stuck it to the managerial staff and so did that Board. I guess none of the Managerial staff quit so Hudak got his way. Nothing like sweetheart contracts on the backs of those responsible for managing the bargaining unit people. Unbelievable.
ReplyDeletesucking up to the union pukes again. cut them till it hurts
ReplyDeletePat Breslin should resign.
ReplyDeleteRemember it's an election year.
7:59 You must long for the days of child labor, unsafe working conditions and debtor's prison.
ReplyDeleteWhy not abolish the local government and you can just go to your bunker with your canned goods and guns. Of course, the mailman will have difficulty getting your soc. sec. disability check to your mail box because there wont be any roads free of non-union bandits.
This is OUTRAGEOUS! Hudak and Zawarski completely contradicted themselves with this move. Nice to see my tax dollars are going to SIGNING BONUSES!!!!!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteWhat a sweetheart deal for the union workers and a kick in the ass to the management staff (except for the Millennial Manager). With how Zawarski and his ilk treat the salaried management staff, no wonder the place is unionized and looking at the deals.. don't blame those who are in the union.
ReplyDeleteIn such a tough economic climate the twp is using tax dollars to line the pockets of Union Employees with Bonuses. These Board Members and Administrators who negotiate and approve these contracts really don't care about Fiscal
ReplyDeleteResponsibility to the residents.
@9:07,
ReplyDeleteYeah, but it's not election year for Breslin. It's a shame, because his attendance record is less than stellar.
10:41, showing you ass as usual
ReplyDelete12:10 None of the staff quit because they all know there is no place in the world where they can make the money and bene's they steal from township taxpayers. If they could they would quit and go where the grass is greener!! I would, YOU would anyone would, why would'nt you. I think Hudak just had the balls to call them out and say what the taxpayers have been saying for years.
ReplyDeleteAlso remember that this is a majority of 5 vote and the vote was unanimous so to single out one individual is just ignorant.
I worry more about Nolan, Zawarsky and Barnard wasting $350,000.00 of my tax money on a bathroom. Grant or not that grant money could be better used elsewhere.350 grand can update more then just one of our township parks playtground equipment. You can bet Wiess and Murpy have my vote and i'll spread that sentiment to everyone I know.
Bernie, question, if the building in this sports complex is built with tax dollars and owned by the taxpayers how is it that this bulldog organization painted their name on it. Isn't that vadalisim ? Can i go and paint my name on it too ? Who allowed them to do this ?
No. But I agree that there should be a policy in place. Why is it that everywhere I go, people end up talking about shit?
ReplyDelete@8:31 Sure sounds like Commissioner "union man" Hudak. Screw Management but give his union buddies a deal of a life time. Bethlehem Township has become a major laughing stock in the Valley. Go outside the place and people just laugh when you mention the place.
ReplyDelete8:31 P.M.
ReplyDeleteThank you Hudak for your input.
This elementary grammar could only be from you. You are a complete disgrace! You preach you want to save money and cut staff benefits, then you turn around and use our tax dollars to give BONUSES to Union Employees, nice job! Next election can't come soon enough and I will remind you of this at the polls.
12:10. I bet you were ok with Paul Weiss wanting to give the developers of Madison Farms close to a million dollars back in recreation fees. Their argument was " but we are building a clubhouse on our site as well as a walking path for our residence so we don't need your facility! ". Oh, and the same goes for the light scam several years ago. Another $MILLION, curtesy Paul Weiss. Let's see how fast Paul can take us broke !
ReplyDelete