News: County, Local 1849 sign contract

County commissioners and union employees last week agreed to a three-year labor contract that affords most union members a 2 percent annual cost-of-living increase.

Terms of the contract provide special incentive for union workers with 16 years of continuous county employment; however, they will receive a “longevity bonus” of 4.5 percent during the 12 months of their 16th year with the county.

“It’s a one-time thing that ends when year 16 is over,” said county Human Resources Manager Becky Rusnak, part of the county negotiating team.

Rusnak said county and union officials also replaced a problematic medical reimbursement program with an annual deductible of $525 funded by the employer — taxpayers.

Local 1849 announced that unions representing courthouse workers and public works employees — previously separate — joined forces as a single collective bargaining unit that now totals roughly 150 members. Local 1849 and the Deputy Sheriff’s Guild, which represents deputies and dispatchers, are now the two public employee unions representing county workers.

County officials welcomed the re-alignment.

“It’s a momentous event,” Commissioner Rhea Miller of Lopez Island said of union members joining forces.

Meanwhile, county non-union employees will also receive a 2 percent annual cost-of-living increase in 2003. Salary increases of union and non-union workers are retroactive to Jan. 1 of this year. County officials budgeted roughly $368,000 to cover the rise in salaries, wages and benefits for the year.

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