Somerset County Commissioners and largest union in county ratify 3-year contract

SOMERSET ― Somerset County Commissioners Tuesday ratified a three-year contract with the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) by a 2-1 vote that gives most of the workers an 8% raise in the first year.

The wage increases will be effective retroactive to Jan. 1. Employees hired after Oct. 1, will receive wage increases to the new starting rate of $12.50, for their position. The union covers various departments in Somerset County's government, including the Children and Youth, Area Agency on Aging, maintenance, 911 telecommunicators, sheriff's deputies and clerks.

Commissioners' Chairman Brian Fochtman and Irvin Kimmel Jr. both approved the contract. Pamela Tokar-Ickes voted against it.

"Irv handled the negotiations and he did a tremendous job," Fochtman said after the meeting. "It's the best deal for the county and the employees. He put in a lot of hard work, time and effort."

Kimmel said he hopes everyone's happy with the contract. "I think it's fair for both parties involved," he said.

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Tokar-Ickes said at the meeting that she does not disagree with aspects of the tentative agreement. She added she is grateful negotiators came to an agreement, and that in the first year of the deal, much-needed adjustments have been made to starting salaries for some of the lowest-paid employees.

"But you can't vote for parts of a contract. You are either in or you have to be out," she said. "So I cannot vote to ratify this agreement.

"What concerns me most, is that this agreement far exceeds our other union contracts and causes salary compression with union and non-union and management employees. And while it makes some important changes in year one, in the second and third years of the contract those percentage increases will likely exceed local private sector wage increases as well as other union agreements in the region and far surpass national averages based on improving labor market projections," Tokar-Ickes said.

She said this new contract will serve as a benchmark for both financial and non-financial items and will impact labor costs across the board.

"I think it's important to mention, it represents the will of only 61 people who voted on its terms, a minority of employees this union contract will ultimately cover," Tojar-Ickes said. "From this vote this morning, the county and the board of commissioners will be bound by its terms and I believe its impact will be felt for years to come."

The biggest union

AFSCME in Somerset County has 174 total positions, with only 62 of the 74 paying members voting (61-1) to ratify the contract.

Jerry George, the union representative, said he feels the contract is fair. He said the agreement is a lot like the other municipalities the union has done.

"We've felt they had to raise wages," George said. "It's a long time coming."

The commissioners and union have been negotiating the contract since the spring of last year.

"The contracts are working and they're filling vacancies. They're going to find out it'll help them," George said of the commissioners.

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New contract

The new contract is an 8% increase for most of the employees for the first year. The second year is a 6% increase and the third 5%. The contract readjusts the starting salaries for county employees from $8 an hour to $12.50, unless they are a specific position, such as case managers, caseworkers and 911 telecommunicators.

Kimmel said when the commissioners approved the 2024 budget with a tax increase in January, the wages were budgeted at a 3% increase. He said he felt that will be more than enough funds to cover the salary increases.

Breaking it down per year, Kimmel said the cost in 2024 is $398,000 without the Area Agency on Aging, $516,000 with AAA; in 2025, $250,000 without AAA, $326,000 with AAA; and in 2026, $225,000 without AAA, $290,000 with AAA. He said the total cost will be about $874,000 without AAA over the three-year contract, and about $1.1 million with AAA included over the contract.

Tokar-Ickes said 19% over the three year period of the contract is the biggest percentage increase at the front of the contract.

"The focus has been raising the starting salaries," she said, but it also has to accommodate people outside the contract coverage. Tokar-Ickes said when the county negotiates with all three unions in 2027, she expects the other two unions to anticipate the same size of increases. The county has 126 non-union employees.

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The contract awards an additional week of vacation to employees after 18 years for a total of five weeks, she said. And an additional personal day for a new total of three. Add that to 12 paid holidays and all AFSCME employees with 18 years of service will work 44 weeks.

Tokar-Ickes said she will not be voting to approve salary increases until the county can set a salary scale for the employees. But in the meantime, she will honor the ratified contract and commended those involved in the negotiations.

"Had it not been for that group of individuals, we would not have a contract today," Tokar-Ickes said. "We do and now we're moving forward."

For more specific wage increase information, go to the county's website at http://www.co.somerset.pa.us/pages/Commissioners/commagenda.asp.

More salary action

The commissioners also approved setting the starting salary for court reporters at $50,000. They set the starting salary for the Planning Commission director at $55,000 to $60,000.

The commissioners also created a tax claim director position and set the starting salary at $35,568. The assistant chief assessor in the Tax Assessment office received an increase in salary from $41,400 to $52,000.

Tokar-Ickes cast the only dissenting vote for that change. She said she opposed it until the county has a new management salary scale.

This article originally appeared on The Daily American: Somerset County Commissioners, largest union ratify contract