Austintown, dispatchers reject fact-finding advice

The township doesn't want to offer raises in 2006.
By JEANNE STARMACK
VINDICATOR STAFF WRITER
AUSTINTOWN -- The township and the union for its dispatchers have rejected a fact finder's report on contract negotiations.
The negotiations with the Ohio Patrolmen's Benevolent Association now move to a conciliation phase, said township administrator Michael Dockry. In that phase, an arbitrator's decision will be final.
The fact finder recommended a wage increase for dispatchers of 3.5, 3 and 3 percent over three years, and that is the biggest reason the township rejected the proposal, Dockry said. The township is also in negotiations with its police and firefighter unions, and is asking for one-year contract extensions with no raises, but $500 to be paid to each employee, Dockry said. So it would be hard to justify allowing raises for the dispatchers, he said.
The report indicates the township is proposing no wage increase for 2006, 1 percent for 2007 and 2 percent for 2008.
No comment from union
Frank Yacucci, president of the dispatchers union, was not available to comment on why the union rejected the report.
Fact finder Christopher E. Miles said in his report that the 3.5 percent raise for 2006 would help with increased health insurance co-payment amounts he also recommended.
He recommended a 10 percent co-payment toward the premium. Dispatchers now pay $30 monthly for family coverage and $20 for single coverage.
He also recommended that co-payments for prescriptions be increased from $5, $12 and $22 for generic, brand-name and nonformulary prescriptions to $20, $40 and $60.
He recommended an increase in co-payments for doctor's visits from $15 to $20.
The union includes one part-time and seven full-time dispatchers. A full-time dispatcher makes $17.82 per hour. Their contract expired at the end of 2005.