Sullivan union employees approve contract

Posted 4/17/19

Press release from Teamsters Local 445: By a 394-34 margin, 92 percent of the Sullivan County Teamster government employees have approved a two-year contract that raises their pay $1500 retroactive …

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Sullivan union employees approve contract

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Press release from Teamsters Local 445:

By a 394-34 margin, 92 percent of the Sullivan County Teamster government employees have approved a two-year contract that raises their pay $1500 retroactive to Jan. 1, 2018, and another $1500 for 2019.

In addition, a significant number of employees will receive upgrades that raise their pay an additional five percent effective March 1, 2019.

The contract establishes a minimum pay of $15 per hour for all employees, retroactive to Jan. 1, 2019.

Those covered by the contract include Teamster Local 445 members at the Government Center, Department of Family Services, Public Health, Community Services, the District Attorney's Office, the Center for Workforce Development, the 911 Center, and the Transportation Department.

The contract expires December 31, 2019. In the past two years the Teamsters have staged several rallies to call attention to their issues.

"We've come a long way, but we have a long way to go," said Teamsters Local 445 Representative Jerry Ebert. "We're very grateful to county leaders for recognizing the need for these significant improvements. This is a good half-way point."

He said during the next round of negotiations this autumn, the employees would seek more upgrades, a step system of pay to reward employees for their years of service, and other improvements.

"The county realizes it needs to compete with the much-higher wages and benefits paid to  equivalent employees in our towns, villages, school districts and correctional facilities, as well as surrounding counties. Otherwise, the county will continue to be an expensive training  center for employees who are poached by other public employers soon after the training is completed.

"This contract moves toward fixing that problem, but we need to finish the job," said Ebert.

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