Trumbull jailers get pay raise

WARREN

Sixty-four corrections officers at the Trumbull County jail will receive base pay increases averaging 38 cents per hour for three years retroactive to Jan. 1, 2014.

The county commissioners approved the raises last week. The workers are represented by the Ohio Patrolmen’s Benevolent Association.

The total cost of the increases to the county have not been calculated yet because 17 months’ worth of raises are retroactive, and the new pay rates will affect the amount each officer is paid for overtime they worked in 2014 and 2015, officials said.

The raises increase pay 45 cents per hour in 2014, 45 cents per hour in 2015 and 25 cents per hour in 2016. The base increase raises each officer’s wages $2,392 over the three years, or $153,088 for 64 workers.

The new contract also calls for three additional step-increases — one of 17.5 cents after five years of service and two added step-increase tiers paying an additional 25 cents per hour each. The jail also has 24 other employees, most of whom will get similar pay increases as the corrections officers, said Jim Keating, county human resources director.

Leslie Stredney, human resources director for the sheriff’s office, referred questions about the total cost of the pay raises to Atty. Curtis Ambrosy, but Ambrosy did not reply to a message left at his office.

Under the previous agreement, a starting corrections officer earned $14.51 per hour, $14.71 per hour after the first year and $18.02 after the fourth year.

Under the new agreement, the starting wage in 2016 will be $15.66, $15.86 after one year and $19.17 after four years.

Ernie Cook, chief deputy with the sheriff’s office, said the agreement “pretty much mirrorrs” what the deputies received in their new contract several months ago. The deputies contract was dictated by an arbitrator’s decision that went in favor of the county.