43
Mercer workers getting increase
Commissioners are still seeking labor agreements with some unions.
MERCER, Pa. — Mercer County commissioners extended a 3 percent pay raise to some county employees and increased employee contributions to medical coverage.
About 55 courthouse employees represented by United Steelworkers Local 1355-4 will receive the wage increase based on the current scale in all three years of the contract. The contract is tentative but expected to be finalized soon, commissioners said at their Thursday meeting.
Commissioners also extended the 3 percent raise to courthouse nonunion employees for this year only.
The also gave a 3 percent increase for 2009 to professional and administrative employees. Commissioner Kenneth Amman voted against that resolution, however, stating after the meeting that he favored a 50-cent hourly increase which would have cost the county less and helped the P&A employees at the lower end of the pay scale.
He said some of the administrators at the lower end make less than the clerical workers they supervise. He said his suggestion would have cost $165,000 annually while the 3 percent P&A increase will cost $228,000.
A sampling of pay rates for county employees before the increase shows clerical positions ranging from a low of $10.82 per hour for part-time clerical assistants to $14.36 for a senior procedure clerk. Custodians make from $10.15 to $16.72 hourly, and a office administrator $48,690. A computer support specialist makes $33,079; a full-time E-911 telecommunicator, an average of $13.90 per hour; and an administrative assistant $33,740 annually. Correctional officers’ pay range is from $12.02 per hour for part-timers to $18.89 for sergeants.
The county still has not reached settlements in labor contracts with the United Steelworkers locals representing employees of the E-911 center, a Teamsters Local representing jail employees, and the Pennsylvania Social Service Union Local representing employees at Children and Youth Services.
Commissioners increased technical, clerical and support employees’ contributions to their health plan by $12 per month for a family and decreased it by $30 per month for single employees. New employee contribution rates are $25.06 for each biweekly pay for singles; $55.33 for a parent with children; $62.65 for an employee with a spouse; and $66.91 for a family.
In other matters, commissioners approved a contract with Richard G. English and Associates Inc., Sharon, to provide tax assessment evaluation and related services for $64,188, a 2.9 percent increase over 2008.
They approved contracts with several attorneys to handle cases for the Mercer County Public Defender’s office. The attorneys and number of cases they will handle are: Jarett Whalen and Randall Hetrick, both 70 cases for a total $28,000; Ted Nesbit, 35 cases for $14,000; Steven DelPero, 25 cases for $10,000, and James Brian, 30 cases for $12,000.