Court Workers, Cedarbrook Aides May Get Raises

Cedarbrook nurses aides and maintenance workers are on tap to get a 2 percent wage hike and court workers might also get 2-3 percent increases this year if Lehigh County commissioners approve contracts negotiated by the administration.

In 2012 and 2013, the 3-year contract would give the county nursing home staff (excluding nurses, who negotiate separately) a general wage increase of 2 percent or a step increase of 3 percent, but not both, according to Tom Muller, county director of administration, who negotiated the contracts. The workers eligible for longevity pay, which are bonuses ranging from $200 to $1,600 after five years of employment, would get half their amount in 2011 and the full amount in 2012 and 2013.

The pact affects 416 full-time and 131 part-time employees represented by the United Food and Commercial Workers Union at Cedarbrook, which has facilities in South Whitehall and Fountain Hill. 

The good news for the county is the union workers increased their contribution to health care coverage to an average of 20 percent. Also, the contract reduces how many sick days they can accrue, which Muller said would eliminate the accrual of about 1,800 sick days. That means the county will be paying much less in overtime to workers brought in as subs, he said. 

“This is almost half of our bargaining unit [employees] that have agreed to a very reasonable contract with the county,” Muller said. “By any measure, these are very reasonable increases. The worst case scenario you end up with a total impasse out there and a strike.” 

Muller said he was mindful that the market for employees in the nursing field is very competitive and tried to base the pay range on surveys of that market. He also tried to keep wage hikes and health care contributions somewhat in line with what non-union county employees receive. 

In the proposed 3-year contract with 190 full-time and 84 part-time court-related employees represented by the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, the county would give workers a lump sum payment of 2 percent of their base pay if they are at the top step of their pay grade or 3 percent if they are at any lower step, Muller said. That’s for 2011 and they would get no step increase this year. 

In 2012 and 2013, those eligible for a step increase would get a 2 ½ percent hike and those already at the top step would get a 2 percent general increase. This year, workers eligible for longevity pay would get half of the normal bonuses ranging from $400 to $2,000. In 2012 and 2013, they would receive their full amount.  

As with the Cedarbrook workers, the court employees will be paying more for health care – an average of about 17.7 percent, Muller said. That’s about double what they were paying, he said.  

The court-related workers aren’t allowed to strike but have often gone to binding arbitration in the past, Muller said.  Northampton County did go to binding arbitration with its AFSCME-represented court workers and County Council is attempting to ignore the arbiter’s decision against the county solicitor’s advice, he said. AFSCME is expected to take legal action.  

Lehigh County commissioners will hear details of the proposed contracts at their meeting tonight at 7:30 p.m. and vote on the contracts at a future meeting. In December, commissioners voted to of about 147 Cedarbrook nurses and 27 human services supervisors who had been slated to get pay raises in 2011. The employees were members of “meet and discuss” bargaining units, which aren’t allowed to strike, but must accept terms the county offers.  All five Republicans voted for Commissioner Chairman Dean Browning’s ordinance to eliminate the pay hikes and three Democrats joined them. 

At the time, Commissioner Percy Dougherty said they wanted to send a message to other unions whose contracts are being negotiated this year.  

Asked how he thought the commissioners would react to the current contract proposals, Muller said, “My guess is very politically. I do believe ultimately, they’ll approve it.”