Union contracts: Coshocton County Sheriff's Office working to attract and keep employees
COSHOCTON − As attracting and retaining law enforcement personnel becomes tougher, the administration at the Coshocton County Sheriff's Office knows the importance of paying employees for their hard work.
A collective bargaining agreement with the sergeant and civilian workers division was recently finalized. It covers those with the sergeant rank and those working in dispatch and corrections.
Sheriff James Crawford and Jail Administrator Chip Udischas said a contract with the deputies' union just needs reviewed and signed. It should be finalized in the next couple of weeks.
The deputies' union has 25 members and the sergeant and civilian union has 27 members. Their new contract is retroactive to November and will expire Dec. 31, 2026. The period was changed to coincide with the deputies' union to get both on the same cycle. For ratification of the change, each union member will also receive $350. This is to compensate for the standard raise kicking in two months later with the new term, said Udischas.
Members of the sergeant and civilian union will get a 4.24% salary increase. Other changes include a slight increase to clothing allowance for sergeants, Juneteenth being a paid holiday and those serving as foster parents being able to use sick time for items related to foster care.
As the union contract for the deputies hasn't been finalized, they couldn't talk about specifics but Crawford and Udischas said they would also be getting raises.
Even though Crawford won't be continuing on as sheriff, losing to West Lafayette Police Chief Christ Walters in the spring Republican primary, he's still committed to bolstering local employment numbers.
A police academy with Central Ohio Technical College was postponed from earlier this year because of lack of students, but is set now to start May 21. The class needs at least 10 students. Crawford said the bulk of applicants are local.
"That was the whole point of getting the class here, to generate local interest, that way it would be more apt to maintain and have longevity. If all you're doing is pulling from out of county, next thing you know, somebody is pulling them away from you," Crawford said of prospective deputies.
Leonard Hayhurst is a community content coordinator and general news reporter for the Coshocton Tribune with more than 15 years of local journalism experience and multiple awards from the Ohio Associated Press. He can be reached at 740-295-3417 or llhayhur@coshoctontribune.com. Follow him on X (formerly Twitter) at @llhayhurst.
This article originally appeared on Coshocton Tribune: Coshocton County Sheriff's Office union contract includes pay raise
