Austintown unions have new contracts

By Elise Franco

efranco@vindy.com

AUSTINTOWN

Four of the township’s unions now have new contracts.

Austintown trustees voted during Monday’s regular meeting to approve new three-year contracts for the 13 employees in the zoning, parks and clerical unions, said township Administrator Mike Dockry.

The contracts, from Jan. 1, 2010, to Dec. 31, 2012, stipulate a wage freeze for the first two years with a wage reopener for the third year, Dockry said.

He said this will keep the departments operating with the same number of employees now on the job with no plans for new hires or layoffs.

Dockry said the biggest concessions these unions made was agreeing to pay 50 percent of any increase in health- care premiums. The unions already pay 10 percent of health benefits costs.

“Basically we’ve made them partners with us as far as the health-care issue,” he said. “As costs increase into the future, either they’ll pick up the 50 percent or have a greater incentive to look at other plans outside [the township] that don’t involve cost increases.”

For example, if an employee’s health care costs the township $600 per month, the employee pays 10 percent of that cost. If the rate were to increase to $800, the employee and the township would split the additional $200.

Dockry said the township will renew its premiums July 1.

A new road department contract was agreed upon earlier this year, which included many of the same contract stipulations.

Dockry said the township’s goal is to get all of the unions operating under the same health- care plans.

He said the trustees could approve contracts for the police and fire unions in as early as two weeks.