After years of negotiations, Schuylkill County has finally agreed to collective bargaining agreements Wednesday with two labor unions representing Rest Haven Nursing Home and senior service, 911 and courthouse employees.
The county commissioners signed the deals after a work session Wednesday.
Nursing home employees have been working without a contract since 2011 while other employees have been without an agreement since 2010. Both agreements went into effect immediately and last until Dec. 31, 2016.
The deals include a 3 percent annual raise. That increases to 3.5 percent for senior service employees following the first year of the deal.
Retroactive raises differ between agreements. Rest Haven employees receive retroactive raises from 2013 while the other employees are from 2012.
"The county puts a significant amount of money in those operations, but there is money and resources coming from state funding that would generally offset those increases," county Administrator Mark Scarbinsky said Wednesday.
Under the new deals, health insurance co-pays have increased over the next three years to $32.50, $40 and $45, respectfully.
The commissioners also approved an agreement with One America For Life for accidental death and dismemberment and long-term disability coverage for county employees. New rates starting July 1 are life insurance, $0.117 per $1,000 of benefit; accidental death and dismemberment, $0.020 per $1,000 of benefit; and long-term disability, $0.290 per $100 of covered monthly earnings.
Martina Chwastiak, human resources director, said the decision to change insurance carriers will generate savings over the next three years.
In other action, the district attorney's office was the latest county department to purchase radios for the upgraded communications system. The agreement with Motorola Solutions Inc. is for seven radios costing $33,800.55. Radios will be leased over a five year period with annual payments of $6,750.78.
Joseph Mazzuca, Pottsville, resigned as a member of the Schuylkill County Airport Authority and Craig Ray, Pottsville, was appointed to fill the unexpired term through Dec. 31.
The board approved a polling site change for the west precinct in Coaldale from the Ambulance Building, Route 209, to the Coaldale Volunteer Fire Company No. 1, 121 W. High St.
The commissioners' retirement board will meet May 14 following the public meeting. The monthly prison board meeting will be held at 11 a.m. in the commissioners' board room.