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County, AFSCME Sign 4-Year Pact; Pay Hikes Begin

By Al Campbell

CREST HAVEN — Chances are good that someone you know just got a raise — one of the best in the state — and will get one for the next three years.
That’s because the roughly 800 employees of the County of Cape May will see fatter paychecks beginning July 1 as a four-year contract went into effect. The pact will continue until June 30, 2012.
The raises will be given to union and non-union personnel as well as to management.
They are zookeepers and stenographers, clerks and plumbers, librarians and security guards and many more, 400 job titles are included in the thick contract.
Those workers keep county government rolling along through thick and thin, heat and snow, some on different hourly schedules than others, most working Monday to Friday, but the library employees, for example, work Sunday through Saturday.
A four-year contract, the second with American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) Local 3596, provides for 5 percent raises for those earning under $50,000, 4 percent hikes for those earning over $50,000.
Because of that, non-union members who earn from $50,000 to under $100,000 will also get 4 percent, and there will be 3.5 percent raises for those in upper management earning over $100,000.
Freeholders signed the contract June 24.
Rank and file union members approved the contract 222-20 in a prior vote, according to Local President Joseph Garifo.
“The county was fair to us,” said Garifo, a sheriff’s security worker.
“The final vote turned out low because so many people were happy with it,” he said.
Of the 222 yes votes, two were disallowed because members added wording how pleased they were, said Garifo. Those messages invalidated their votes.
“The contract is very fair to both parties for the employees as well as the taxpayers,” said county Administrator Stephen O’Connor, who headed the county’s negotiating team.
Two of the greatest changes in the contract:
• The day after Christmas, a Friday this year, will not be a holiday.
Reduction to one holiday in February from two (only Presidents Day will be a county holiday and Lincoln’s Birthday will no longer be marked.)
• Loss of salary increase for six months if an employee has seven or more undocumented sick days.
The latter is, “One of the most unnecessary costs in government, the overuse of sick time,” said O’Connor.
“The union agreed with us to restrict its unnecessary use. That saves on overtime as well as using outside agencies that are brought in for operations that require minimum staffing, such as at Crest Haven Nursing Home,” O’Connor added.
The first time the county placed that wording into a contract was with corrections officers, he said.
“That reduced overtime costs,” he said.
The holiday changes, too, were cited by O’Connor as a “significant saving for the county.”
“I’m proud of the contract we negotiated for our county employees,” Garifo said.
He cited the four years with 5 percent hikes for those earning under $50,000 and 4 percent hikes for those earning over $50,000 as proof that the contract was “one of the best, as of right now, throughout the state.”
Garifo lauded O’Connor and county Personnel Director Barbara Bakley-Marino, with whom his union team negotiated.
“There was mutual respect from ourselves and management,” he added.
“It was a tremendous deal on the part of the state board, the council board and (AFSCME) District Council 71 (AFL-CIO) and staff representative Brenda Carpenter, business agent,” Garifo said.
Of the holidays given up, Garifo said that, based on the four years of the contract’s life, this year’s Friday was “more than covered” by the pay hikes.
“A Friday after Christmas comes along one time in seven years…we didn’t feel that was worth tying up the contract,” he said.
By state law, all public employees get 15 sick days per year.
Contract language states that anyone using more than seven undocumented sick days will have their increase suspended for six months, and would lose six months increase, since the increase would not be retroactive.
An example given, as of July 1, if an employee had seven undocumented sick days, they will not receive their increase until January, and when they do, the increase will not be included from July to January.
Employees who have received a major discipline of 60 days or more or suspension will not be entitled to their next annual salary increase, according to the contract.
Health care benefits for all county employees include:
• Hospitalization-surgical medical benefit subject to $100 co-pay that applies to each hospital admission up to a maximum of two per family per calendar year.
• Unlimited maximum on major medical coverage after an initial $200 individual deductible $400 aggregate deductible with 80 percent co-insurance up to $2,500.
• Eye care coverage plan for all employees and dependents.
• Prescription insurance plan for all employees and dependents with $12 co-pay for non-generic drugs, $8 co-pay for “formulary” drugs, and zero co-pay for generic drugs.
• Disability insurance.
• Life insurance coverage of $5,000 per employee.
• Family dental care plan with a maximum coverage of $1,500 per/ covered family member per year.
For retired county employees with 25 years of service, hospitalization and life insurance until the person’s death, “including, where applicable, dependent coverage.”
Employees who can provide proof of other health care coverage may elect to opt-out of coverage and get $2,500 per year.
Also covered by the contract is the minimum annual salary to be paid to employees covered by the contract. Minimum salary will be: effective July 1, 2008, $23,250; July 1, 2009, $24,413; July 1, 2010, $25,633; July 1, 2011, $26,915.
Contact Campbell at (609) 886-8600 Ext 28 or at: al.c@cmcherald.com

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