AUSTINTOWN Officials, union agree on pact

The contract calls for 3-percent annual raises.
By IAN HILL
VINDICATOR STAFF WRITER
AUSTINTOWN -- Township officials have reached a contract agreement with firefighters.
The three-year agreement calls for firefighters to receive 3-percent annual raises, and maintains the minimum number of firefighters on a shift at five full-time and one part-time.
Firefighters will have to pay a portion of their health-care coverage under the new contract.
Trustees had passed a resolution calling for firefighters and police officers to pay a portion of the health-care plan in May. The unions filed a lawsuit asking a judge to halt the trustees' plan.
Hearing in court
A court hearing on the lawsuit was Wednesday. Contract negotiations continued through the hearing, and the agreement was reached later that day. The contract is retroactive to Dec. 31, when the last firefighters' contract expired.
The new health-care plan calls for firefighters to pay a $20 monthly premium for single coverage and a $30 monthly premium for family coverage. The township paid the entire premium in past years.
The contract also calls for firefighters to pay a medical deductible of $100 a year for single, and $200 a year for family coverage. The old plan had no deductible if you went to doctors in the network plan.
Also, firefighters will now pay $5 for generic drug prescriptions, and $12 for brand-named drugs. Firefighters paid nothing under the old plan for generic, and $10 for brand-named drugs.
Union President George Teutsch said the firefighters union will withdraw from the lawsuit against the trustees.
Township Administrator Michael Dockry said the salary and benefit package would cost the township an additional $165,000 a year.
Dockry added the trustees in May had two options: Renew their health-care plan and pay an additional $202,000 this year, or select a new plan and pay an additional $109,200. They selected the new plan, which was approved Wednesday by firefighters.
Dockry said trustees are waiting to vote on the agreement until they receive a written copy of the deal from the Mahoning County Prosecutor's Office. Trustees are expected to vote on the agreement at their Aug. 11 meeting.
Township's position
Dockry said trustees wanted the unions to help pay for the cost increase because the township is facing financial difficulties. Township officials have said that without budget cuts, the township will have a $1.2 million deficit at the end of the year.
Trustees have laid off several employees in an effort to save money.
The trustees are still working on an agreement with its police union. That contract expired Dec. 31.
The trustees have decided not to change the police union's health care at this time. Dockry expects police to drop the lawsuit.
hill@vindy.com