County Highway Workers Contract

Here are the guts of the McHenry County Transportation Department contract terms with the International Union of Operating Engineers, Local 150, Public Employees Division.

County highway workers patch Fleming Road.

County highway workers patch Fleming Road.

This is what is being shown the Count Board:

The collective bargaining agreement between the Local 150 – Division of Transportation employees – and the County expired on June 30, 2014.  Pursuant to good faith negotiations regarding wages, benefits and terms of employment, both the County and the Union have reached tentative agreements for the renewal of the labor agreement.

This agreement has since been ratified by the Union.

The contract is for a four year term with an expiration date of June 30, 2018.

Key items that have been changed due to these negotiations include

  • wage increases
  • starting wages
  • employees’ participation in the Union’s health plan with fixed employer contribution levels
  • a time frame for discipline and inclusion of an attendance policy with discipline measures

Bargaining unit employees are to receive wage increases as follows:

  • July 1, 2014  – 0%
  • July 1, 2015  – 1%
  • July 1, 2016  – 1%
  • July 1, 2017  – 1%

Health insurance contributions shall be as follows:

  • Upon execution:     $700 single / $1,700 family
  • January 1, 2016:    $725 single / $1,750 family
  • January 1, 2017:    $750 single / $1,800 family
  • January 1, 2018:    $775 single / $1,850 family

Comments

County Highway Workers Contract — 4 Comments

  1. Why is it that the union gets a copy of the collective bargaining agreements but the county doesn’t bother to post the agreements on their website, or if they do, they are not easy to find.

    Typically taxing districts post collective bargaining agreements aka negotiated agreements aka labor agreements on the Human Resources page, although sometimes they are found in the Finance / Business Manager section or Board section.

    There following are the collective bargaining documents that should be posted by the County on its website (obviously in this case when finalized).

    1. Copy of the expired collective bargaining agreement.

    2. Copy of the new collective bargaining agreement.

    3. Copy of the change document, which is the old collective bargaining agreement indicating deletions and additions from the old agreement to the new agreement, which is typically indicated by strikethroughs for deletions and underline for additions, or sometimes a different color font is used for additions.

    4. For all of the above, any salary schedules, other schedules, appendixes, addendums, amendments, side letters of agreement, memorandums of understanding (MOU), or anything that adds to of modifies the base agreement.

    One reason costs in many cases spiraled out of control and we are referring to all units of government in general making no specific claims for McHenry COunty, is no on tracks this stuff.

    Once again, that is not to say this particular old or newly negotiated contract is unsatisfactory.

    Here are the ten union bargaining units present in McHenry County government (at the county level).

    There may be more.

    Thus there are 10 collective bargaining agreements.

    Disclaimer, sometimes two or more bargaining units are combined into one collective bargaining agreement.

    – FOP Unit 1 Deputies in Sheriff’s Office
    – FOP Unit 2 Corrections
    – FOP Unit 3 Civilians in Sheriff’s Office
    – IUOE Local 150 Div of Transportation Employees
    – IUOE Local 150 Facilities Mgmt Maint Employees
    – MAP Chapter 515 Circuit Clerk Office Employees
    – SEIU Local 73 Animal Control & Kennel Techs
    – SEIU Local 73 Coroner Office
    – SEIU Local 73 Recorder
    – SEIU Local 73 Valley Hi RN & LPN

    Acronmym cross reference

    FOP = Fraternal Order of Police
    IUOE = International Union of Operating Engineers
    MAP = Metropolitan Alliance of Police
    SEIU = Service Employees International Union

    Speaking of Transparency the McHenry County State’s Attorney’s office & the Illinois Attorney General’s office are hosting a Transparency seminar.
    Local Government Transparency and Ethics Seminar
    The public is welcome to attend
    Date: Thursday June 11, 2015 from 7 – 9PM
    Location: McHenry County College – Luecht Conference Center
    8900 U.S. Highway 14
    Crystal Lake, Illinois 60012
    Featuring topics relating to:
    – The Illinois Freedom of Information Act
    – The Illinois Open Meetings Act
    – The Illinois Public Officials Prohibited Activities Act
    http://www.co.mchenry.il.us/home/showdocument?id=44400

    Every taxing district needs a watchdog and the above seminar will help train watchdogs.

    The Better Government Association also has information on its website about FOIA and Open meetings, as does the Citizens Advocacy Center in Elmhurst, if you want to educate yourself a little more before or attending.

    Most taxing districts have no watchdog.

    Even if there are reformers on the board, even if the board has a reform majority, they can still use watchdog help.

    The special interests and labor unions are much more knowledgeable, organized, and vastly outnumber reform board members and watchdogs.

  2. Is it really Local 150 pushing the Shorten and Salgado Republicans to consolidate Townships for Union expansion?

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