North Strabane Approves Contract With Public Works Crew

supervisors unanimously approved a five-year contract with the Construction, General Laborers and Material Handlers Local Union 1058 during their regular meeting Tuesday.

The contract with the union, which represents the township's 10-member public works crew, runs through Dec. 31, 2016 and may be reopened in the third year.

North Strabane Manager Frank Siffrinn said that either the union or township could choose to reopen the contract at that point, but indicated the only negotiable issues would be wages and employer contributions to the pension fund.

The contract calls for employees to receive a 3.1 percent wage increase in 2012, a 2.9 percent increase in 2013 and a 2.7 percent increase in 2014.

The agreements also requires the township to pay 31 cents per hour per employee toward the pension fund in 2012. In 2013, that number would increase to 34 cents per hour, and then again in 2014.

Additionally, the clothing-and-boot stipend was increased from $100 per employee each year to $150 per employee each year.

"I think overall it was a fair and equitable agreement," Siffrinn said, formally thanking the union for its cooperation during negotiations. "Mission accomplished—we got it done."