Somerset County, union reach deal boosting pay 19% over three years

Mar. 27—SOMERSET, Pa. — A new contract with Somerset County's largest union will raise most existing wages by 19% over three years — and increase the minimum entry level county wage to $12.50.

The deal between Somerset County commissioners and American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees workers approved Tuesday boosts wages for 174 union positions, including Area Agency on Aging care managers, Children & Youth Services caseworkers, maintenance staff, sheriff deputies and 911 telecommunicators, among others.

In addition to preserving increases OK'd through a 2023 memorandum, existing employees will receive annual raises of 8%, 6% (2025) and 5% (2026) over the three-year deal, while seeing the minimum wage for new, entry-level hires jump from approximately $8 an hour to $12.50, the deal shows.

"This was a long time coming," said AFSCME union representative Gerald George.

"We feel it's going to help the county in terms of recruiting and retaining employees."

The three-year deal brought an end to a year of often contentious negotiations that were often a central issue in last year's board election — a point a nationally competitive job market saw private sector wages surge to retain workers.

Tuesday's county approval came in a split 2-1 vote, with support from President Commissioner Brian Fochtman and Commissioner Irv Kimmel Jr., who campaigned they'd boost wages, and the lone vote against the deal by incumbent Pamela Tokar-Ickes.

"I just hope everyone is happy," Kimmel said, noting the county sought to improve conditions while also keeping other county costs in mind.

Tokar-Ickes said she supported many elements of the deal, including ones that preserved wage increases enacted through last year's memorandum and higher starting wages to attract new workers.

She said she also supported percentage increases — but took issue with raising them 19% over three years and the fact the contract was front-loaded with an 8% increase in 2024.

Both factors will have a domino effect on future budgets, she said, noting 2025 and 2026 salary obligations will grow more annually because of it.

"And now the benchmark has been set for our other employees," she said, noting they will understandably anticipate the same raises when their contracts expire or annual increases are on the table.

"(Raises within) this agreement far exceeds our other union contracts ... and causes salary compression with union and non-union and management employees," she said, noting the county also has 126 non-union employees to consider.

AFSCME's last contract expired Dec. 31 after negotiations hit an impasse between the bargaining unit and the previous board, which was led by then-President Commissioner Gerald Walker.

The new three-year contract sets 2024 wages retroactive to Jan. 1. It's a standard move enabling employees to receive back pay for what they would have earned under their new salaries during the first quarter of the year.

Kimmel said the 2024 wage increases would add $516,000 in additional salary expenses for 2024 if every position on the books was filled — an unlikely scenario.

But deducting Area Agency on Aging positions, which are reimbursed by the state, the maximum county obligation would be $322,000, he said.

Over the life of the three-year deal, it would add $1.1 million in additional county pay if every position was filled — or $875,000 after deducting the state reimbursements, he said.

The 2024 total exceeds the 3% Somerset County initially budgeted for the salary increases, but the revenue generated through the board's 1.75-mill tax increase will cover it, Kimmel said.

As adopted, the tax hike was expected to generate $2.7 million in additional revenue, meaning that millage could cover the additional salary costs as well as maintenance concerns board members have previously cited.

Deal highlights

Kimmel said the AFSCME union approved the contract 61-1.

While the deal covers more than 170 positions, only 74 dues-paying members were eligible to vote, the board said.

Some first-year pay rates will not change after mid-contract agreements were previously approved in 2023, but the new deal ensures those wages remain long-term.

For example, CYS caseworkers positions stayed at $34,000, while level 3 staff will earn $38,836.

Area Agency on Aging Care managers will see their salaries start at the same totals, while new 911 tele-communicators will earn $15 an hour during their first six months and see that total eventually grow to $18.75 hourly after 18 months.

Both positions were among the hardest hit by retirements and departures in 2022 and 2023. Current employees will now see their second wage increase in a year.

"We have many employees who are working two jobs because they aren't being paid what they are worth ... and this deal, is a good start (to changing that)," Somerset County Children & Youth Services caseworker Kimberly Mahoney said.

Somerset's commissioners referred to the $12.50 an hour starting salary for entry level hires as "effectively the new county minimum wage," and that non-union workers already saw their pay adjusted to that level in January.

State-certified part-time deputy sheriffs will earn $18 an hour, while Maintenance 1 workers will earn $15 an hour and more experienced Maintenance 3 staff will earn $21 an hour, the agreement shows.

Existing deputy sheriffs and 911 telecommunicators will also receive $1,500 and $800 per-year pay increases respectively in 2024.

Any union workers regardless of department whose salaries are at least $40,000 were awarded a $1,500 yearly increase in wages, rather than the 8%, 6% and 5% boosts approved for their peers.

For 2024, that $1,500 increase is the equivalent of a just under 4% raise for a staff worker earning $40,000.

Treasurer Anthony DeLuca Jr., who had been pressing county officials to boost employee wages since taking office two years ago, said the move lifts workers from "poverty wages."

"One of our most valuable resources is our employees," he said. "For somebody making $10 an hour who (was paying) $4 a gallon to drive to Somerset from Windber each day ... it helps," said DeLuca, who also serves on the salary board.

County Sheriff Dustin Weir said staff are "ecstatic" about the move.

Tokar-Ickes said there's no question county employees deserved higher wages. The issue is that a "very protracted and highly politicized" negotiation process yielded a front-loaded contract that the county and its taxpayers will be bound to live with for years to come.

The previous commissioners board, Tokar-Ickes included, previously advocated for deals the county was able to absorb without raising taxes.

She said there's evidence wage increases have slowed in the private sector as the job market adjusts to post-COVID realities.

But Kimmel and Fochtman said after years of seeing wages surge elsewhere, the board had a duty to take steps that allowed county employees to "catch up" somewhat.

George credited the new board for seeing the bigger picture.

He said a similar deal in nearby Indiana County has shown results, leading to more recruitment and improved retention rates.

"And I think we're going to see that here, too," he said.

While Tokar-Ickes has some issues with the contract, she said it was also time for a deal to move forward — and for the county to move forward, too.

She credited Kimmel and two union members — Chadd Sines and Levi Wasielewski — for finding middle ground that enabled the county and its employees to reach a deal after a months-long impasse.

"(They) did a tremendous job," Tokar-Ickes said.