Commissioners rejected an agreement with that union last week on a new three-year contract to replace one that expired this year.
The agreement called for no across-the-board pay raises in 2010 or 2011, and a 3 percent raise in 2012. It allowed for step increases this year of up to 3 percent for the roughly two-thirds of workers not at the top of their pay grade, and step increases with a 3 percent hike to the top of the pay grade in 2012.
It included no pay raises, step increases or uniform allowance in 2011.
“Whatever you made in 2010, is what you’ll continue to make in 2011,” said Josh Bowling, president of he union.
It also reduced the number of road deputies who could be transferred to the jail in an attempt to preserve corrections jobs.
Bowling said he was “shocked” that commissioners rejected the agreement that had been reached between the sheriff, union and attorney representing the county.
He said the union willingly forfeited pay hikes this year and next and agreed to a 2011 step pay freeze to save jobs.
“We came up with this idea. We were trying to save manpower,” said. “These are tough times, we understand that, we have a job to do and if we can save a person’s job by not taking a pay increase for 2010 and 2011, we’re willing to do that.”
Paul Berninger, the attorney representing the county in union negotiations, told commissioners in an e-mail provided by county officials the agreement “was probably as good as (the sheriff) could hope to achieve in any impasse procedure.”
County’s rejection of labor deal stuns union
Butler County commissioners bucked the advice of their own attorney and rejected an agreement with the union representing county corrections officers last week.
This was a surprise to Josh Bowling, president of the Butler County Wage and Benefits Committee, which represents roughly 130 corrections officers, dispatchers, clerical workers and medics at the sheriff’s office.
“I figured it was a deal that they couldn’t refuse,” Bowling said. “To me, as a taxpayer, it was a sensible agreement.”
Paul Berninger, the attorney representing commissioners in negotiations, appears to agree.
“I had advised the sheriff that this settlement was probably as good as he could hope to achieve in any impasse procedure,” Berninger wrote in an e-mail summarizing the agreement for commissioners, which was provided by county officials.
“While I recognize the difficulty in supporting a wage increase at this time, I believe the focus should be on the wage and benefit freeze.”
Commission President Gregory Jolivette and Commissioner Donald Dixon did not return calls seeking comment Thursday, July 22. Commissioner Charles Furmon refused to comment.
Bowling said the union has seen roughly 15 layoffs from county budget cuts since late 2009, and more than five more positions cut through attrition. They have also agreed to work overtime for straight pay and other concessions.
“I got guys that took voluntary layoffs that got kids, and that’s hard to see,” Bowling said.
The county will now continue in negotiations, possibly leading to arbitration in court for some units within the union if there’s no resolution.
Writes Berninger: “The union takes the position that all of these units are entitled to resolution through binding conciliation. I strongly disagree with that contention, but any effort to resist that process would likely lead to litigation at a significant cost to the county.”
“The longer this drags out, it actually puts county commissioners in a position to cost them more money,” Bowling said.
Sheriff Richard K. Jones said he leaves union negotiations up to commissioners, who control his budget.
“We thought we had a tentative agreement, but the commissioners thought differently,” he said. “If they think they can’t afford that, evidently that should be communicated to their attorney.”
The agreement called for no across-the-board pay raises in 2010 or 2011, and a 3 percent raise in 2012. It allowed for step increases this year of up to 3 percent for the roughly two-thirds of workers not at the top of their pay grade, and a step increases with a 3 percent hike to the top of the pay grade in 2012.
It included no pay raises, step increases or uniform allowance in 2011.
Contact this reporter at (513) 820-2175 or jsweigart@coxohio.com.
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