MVSD, workers reach contract agreement

MINERAL RIDGE -- Union employees and the management of one of the area's largest water suppliers have inked a one-year pact, retroactive to July 1.
The Mahoning Valley Sanitary District and the Association of Federal, State, County and Municipal Employees Local 1649 AFL-CIO announced Wednesday that the district had reached agreements with service and maintenance employees and patrolmen. The contract affects about 35 employees.
The agreements call for service and maintenance workers to receive 3 percent wage increases, retroactive to July 1.
Patrolmen will receive the same percentage increase, as well as wage adjustments of 90 cents per hour.
MVSD will continue to pay health-insurance premiums for workers, but all employees will now be under a preferred-provider organization plan, which will save the district money.
A change in the pact, drafted by both employees and managers, includes a tiered-wage structure -- new employees will be hired at hourly rates slightly lower than those for current employees.
The tiered schedule is expected to save MVSD money.
The contract between workers and the MVSD expired June 30, but operations continued under the terms of the old pact. The new deal was agreed upon months ago, but both sides held off signing it until minor language changes were made.