2% Pay Raise for County Highway Workers, Health Benefit Sharing Going Up
Highway workers patch Fleming Road.
Here’s what the recommendation for wages in the contract that is on the agenda toimposed on McHenry County Department of Transportation union employees at Tuesday’s Board meeting:
WAGES
1. Effective December 1, 2011, wage rates will increase by 2% (with retro pay).
2. Effective December 1, 2012, 2% or the wages covered by this Agreement shall increased by the percentage increase granted by the County Board per Resolution (generally at their October or November 2012 Board Meeting) for non-elected employees, whichever is greater.
3. Effective December 1, 2013, 2% or the wages covered by this Agreement shall increased by the percentage increase granted by the County Board per Resolution (generally at their October or November 2013 Board Meeting) for non-elected employees, whichever is greater.
Start rates:
- December 1, 2011 $18.25
- December 1, 2002 $18.50
- December 1, 2013 $18.75
Health benefit cost sharing will change, as you can see below:
The Employer and the active employees shall share the cost of health, dental, and vision
coverage as follows:
The employee share of the co-payments for PPO health benefits will increase from 10% to 15% starting in 2013. HMO cost sharing will also increase.
Is that a 2% total pay raise.
Or is it set up similar to a teachers contract.
In a teachers contract, the public is sometimes told the teachers are getting a 2% salary increase, but that may mean a 2% increase to the base salary schedule…and the teacher also sometimes gets (depending on the wording of the collective bargaining agreement) – step (years of service) and lane (college credits) increases.
I have learned to be vary wary of advertised pay increases for government employees.
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