Schuylkill inks collective bargaining agreements

About 150 Schuylkill County employees have a new bargaining agreement, retroactive to Jan. 1, 2017.

Acting on the request of Human Resources Director Deborah Twigg, the commissioners approved the four-year agreements during a meeting Wednesday. The agreements are between the county and the American Federation of State, County and Municipal employees. There are two agreements, one for about 130 county employees and one for about 20 county employees for the office of senior services.

After the meeting, county solicitor Al Marshall said that the agreements include a 3 percent wage increase for employees, but also require that employees contribute more toward health care costs. In July, the commissioners approved a five-year contract for more than 100 unionized Children & Youth Services Agency workers, who are with the Pennsylvania Social Services Union, Local 668. That contract is from January 2018 through Dec. 31, 2022.

Twigg, who’s been employed by the county for a year, has helped negotiate three major county employee contracts. One more is in the works.

“The contract for the teamsters who work at the prison ended at the end of 2018,” Twigg said. “We’ve been working on that since June.”

During the meeting, Chairman George Halcovage credited Twigg and the other county employees for the successful negotiations.

“We thank the whole team,” Halcovage said. “They respect the wants and needs of the taxpayers while making sure that employees are treated fairly.”

Commissioner Gary Hess said that settling the contracts helps create a positive working atmosphere.

“We really appreciate that they’re (the contracts) all done, that everyone could sit down and work things out,” he said. “It helps keep good morale in the employees.”

In other action the commissioners:

• Approved a supplemental budget adjustment of $318,000 for the Office of Senior Services. Director of Finance Paul Buber said that the funds are a carry-over from 2018 and will be redirected to needed services.

• Approved an internship agreement between adult probation and Alvernia University for business and criminal justice students.

• Approved an annual software license with Election Systems and Software LLC, from Jan. 1, 2019, to Dec. 31, 2019, for $26,745. Frannie Brennan, Voter Registration/Election Bureau, said that the fee has remained the same for three years.

• Approved a request by First Assistant Michael Stine, District Attorney’s office, to create two victim-advocate clerical aide positions. Currently one person holds the post; the work will be divided between two people and the total hours fewer than with one position. The positions are funded through a PCCD grant.