NorCo Council Unanimously Approves Six New Union Contracts

Northampton County Council conducted their last meeting of the year last night. Unanimously, they approved six union contracts. Executive Lamont McClure. "They are the greatest!" he said of the workers."They're worth more money than we're about to pay them," adding they understand "the taxpayers are not a money tree."

Four of these contracts are with the Court-Related Non-professional, Court-Appointed Non-professional, Residual Non-professional and Youth Detention Center bargaining units. All are a part of AFSCME and those contracts expired at the end of last year. Under new, three-year contracts, these four unions are each receiving what is known as a "step" increase for 2018. This is a 4 1/2% payhike and is retroactive until the beginning of 2018. In 2019 and 2020, there will be two per cent raises. Employees already at the top step will get a cash payout of $1750 for 2018.

Fiscal Affairs Director Steve Barron said the retroactive payhike will likely take place in 2019.

The Gracedale Union, which consists of all union employees except for Registered Nurses, expires at the end of this year. In 2019, Gracedale workers will see a step increase, followed by two per cent raises in 2020 and 2021.

Several years ago, Gracedale workers gave up their paid lunches to help keep the then struggling nursing home afloat. Under the new contract, Gracedale workers will get them back.  Human Resources Director Elizabeth Kelly said that the union gave up three benefits in return. One perk is a sick leave bonus paid to part-time workers, even though they have no sick days. Another is something known as "99" days. This enables employees to take up to five unpaid personal days every year. Some employees were taking more, which established a practice. Under the new contract, employees who abuse the "99" day perk will be disciplined. Finally,changes have been made to Friday shift differentials.

The final union contract is with the Human Services PSSU Union, which is part of SEIU. Employees there are getting a retroactive step increase in 2018, followed by two per cent raises in 2019 and 2020. Because a step increase in Human Services is only about 2.25% compared to the 4.5% with the other unions,the county is also agreeing to make up the difference with cash.

In addition to the pay increases, Executive Lamont McClure noted that the new contracts eliminate the gap insurance employees were being forced to pay. In addition, two new health plans are being offered. Both are "Preferred Provider Organization" (PPO) plans. These are allow participants to visit in-network physician or healthcare provider without first obtaining a referral from a primary care physician. According to HR Director Kelly, they provide more favorable prices and better coverage than other plans.

The first of these, called PPO400, is described by Kelly as a "traditional" PPO plan with a $400 deductible for single members and a $800 deductible for family coverage. The second PPO has higher deductibles ($2,000 for single, $4,000 for family), but enables employees to establish Health Savings Accounts. Single employees can contribute up to $3,500 per year, while those with family coverage can pay in $7,000 per year. The County is also willing to fund these accounts to $1,250 for single coverage HSAs, and $2,500 for family.

Kelly pointed out that HSAs are portable, meaning that if an employee leaves to work somewhere else, he can take the HSA with him.

After these contracts were approved by County Council, Executive McClure thanked them for "unanimously validating the dignity of the worker."

These new contracts mean that the county's payroll will increase $848,048 this year, and $2.6 million in 2020.

In other business, the appointment of a Director of Treatment at the Juvenile Justice center was finally approved by unanimous vote. Council member Lori Vargo Heffner, who was imposing all kinds of roadblocks as recently as Monday, is suddenly now "comfortable' with the appointment. Judge Stephen Baratta's letter to her certainly had something to do with making her comfortable.

Also, despite claiming she had the votes and rallying her troops, Tara Zrinski has now decided that the planet will survive if her plastic straw ban resolution waits until next year. But some of her troops were there, including misandrist Becky Wamsley, Kathy Fox and Dr. Breena Holland  The latter two spoke in support of the ban.

Finally, at the request of Council member John Cusick, Council approved $5,000 grants from their contingency fund to The Center for Animal Health and Welfare and the Saucon Valley Community Center. Both are nonprofits.

Council member Kevin Lott spoke highly of both organizations.