Trumbull highway workers to get pay increases of 2 percent, 2 percent and 3 percent

Staff report

WARREN

The Trumbull County commissioners approved a contract Wednesday with the 44 highway-maintenance employees at the Engineer’s Office that will increase labor costs by $180,000 over three years.

Mike Esposito of the consulting firm Clemans Nelson Associates, who negotiated the contract on behalf of the engineer’s office, said the deal increases pay by 2 percent, 2 percent and 3 percent over the three years, though the increases actually occur every six months.

The money to pay the workers comes from motor vehicle and gas taxes, not the county general fund. The workers are represented by the Ohio Civil Service Employees Union Local 11. The previous contract expired June 30.

Among the provisions that benefit the county is that it is no longer paying employees for their half-hour lunch, Esposito said. The county also will no longer pay an additional 4 percent of new employees’ cost for their pension.

The county still will pick up the additional 4 percent for existing employees.

The Ohio Public Employees Retirement System website says OPERS members pay 10 percent of their earnable salary to the OPERS, and the employer contributes 14 percent.

Government agencies are allowed to pay some portion of the employee’s share of OPERS costs, and many do.

Changes were made to the tier system that determines how much employees are paid for years of service, but the changes do not add any cost to the county engineer’s office, Esposito said.

Under the new contract, new employees will make 70 percent of the full wage and reach 100 percent after 10 years. There were fewer steps in the old contract.

Under the contract, an entry level laborer will make $11.96 per hour, a top-tier laborer will make $17.09 per hour, and he or she will make $17.26 after the first 1 percent raise, which will occur six months into the contract.

Other 1 percent increases will occur every six months for the next 18 months. Two raises in the third year will each be 1.5 percent.

Among the higher-paid jobs, an entry level equipment operator will make $13.50 per hour, a top-tier equipment operator will make $19.28 per hour, and he or she will make $19.47 after the first 1 percent pay raise.