Rockland County Reaches Agreement With RAM Union

Rockland County has reached a tentative contract with the Rockland Association of Management (RAM) Union, county officials announced. It includes raises of 2% and 3% over the next three years, the first time the members have gotten raises since 2010.

“Thank you to the union and the bargaining team from the Department of Personnel for their hard work over the last year developing this contract that is both fair to our employees and fiscally responsible,” said County Executive Ed Day. “We look forward to reaching fair, responsible contracts with our other union employees.”

Day said the agreement also requires the approval of the Rockland County Legislature.

The multi-year agreement with RAM covers August 2016, to Dec. 31, 2021.

Contract highlights:

• Incremental wage increases and lump sum payments covering 2017-2021.
  • 2017: $800 lump sum, no money on base salary
  • 2018: $1,500 lump sum, no money on base salary
  • 2019: 2% on base salary
  • 2020: 3% on base salary effective 8/1/20
  • 2021: 3% on base salary effective 8/1/21

Multiple operational changes including:

• Reduction for promotional increment payment(s)
• Reduction in vacation accruals and associated payments for new hires
• Process changes regarding the grievance procedure
• Expansion of the Rockland County Drug and Alcohol Policy to include 10-panel screening

The cost of this contract through the end of 2019 is slightly less than $1 million and future increases in 2020 and 2021 will be appropriately budgeted for those years, Day said.

There are about 190 members of RAM. It is one of the largest County employee unions, county officials said.

County Executive Day said he was committed to settling all of Rockland’s outstanding contracts. “Our dedicated employees have been critical to the modernization of County government and to our efforts to improve Rockland’s fiscal situation. I want to do right by our employees, but there must be a balance between their needs and the need to safeguard taxpayer dollars.”