Trumbull officials OK union pacts

Staff report

WARREN

Trumbull County commissioners have approved three-year extensions of the collective-bargaining agreements with three unions representing workers in the treasurer, recorder and clerk of courts offices and child-support enforcement agency.

The extensions mean that the 180 workers will remain on a wage freeze for three years on top of the 21/2 years their wages were frozen so far.

The county is continuing to negotiate on contracts for several other bargaining units whose contracts expired at the end of 2010 and whose contracts expire this year, said James Keating, county human resources director.

The extensions do not eliminate step increases employees receive. Step increases are awarded under most contracts during each of the first five years, as well as at the 71/2-year mark and at 10, 15, 20 and 25 years, Keating said.

Few county employees are within the first five years of employment, Keating noted.

Trumbull County employees pay 10 percent of the cost of their health care.

Keating commended union leadership for the continued wage freezes but added that he finds it “pretty amazing” that Trumbull County employees have made it through the last three years without layoffs of any kind while government layoffs have been commonplace throughout Northeast Ohio.