New contract ratified for county engineer workers

Includes raises of 1.5% in first year, 1.75% in next 2 years

WARREN -- An agreement was reached between the Trumbull County Engineer's Office and its employees in International Union of Operating Engineers Local 66, a new union representing the employees.

The 45 employees previously were represented by the Ohio Civil Service Employees Association's American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Local 11 but voted to join the IUOE.

The contract includes a raise of 1.5 percent in the first year and raises of 1.75 percent in the second and third years.

The contract creates a safety and skills training program, funded with $15,000 each year, in a partnership with the union.

"The goal is to enhance both skills and safety in the workforce with the goal of enhancing the quality of services that this Office is able to provide, making the workplace and worksites safer for both employees and the public, and delivering a better return on investment for the taxpayers of Trumbull County," the document states.

The law firm Clemans, Nelson and Associates Inc. handled negotiations for the county engineer's office. County Engineer Randy Smith said negotiations with the union, which ratified the contract, went well.

"We have a hard-working, dedicated group of employees that do a great job maintaining our roads and bridges in Trumbull County. It was a privilege to work with Operating Engineers Local 66 during the negotiations of our first contract with this union. They were very professional and we look forward to working with them in the future," Smith states in a document explaining the new contract.

"The contract is fair to the taxpayers and fair to the employees. Wage adjustments are consistent with the local economy," he states.

New hires will have to make the entire employee contribution to their pensions, but people hired before the policy are grandfathered in with the county picking up 4 percent of the employee portion.

No changes were made to the health insurance portion of the contract, although office exposure was capped at 5 percent annually.

When it comes to subcontracting, the contract calls for communication between union members and management but leaves the decision to hire subcontractors in the hands of management.

The contract also stipulates lower-level disciplinary actions -- suspensions of three days or less -- are not eligible for review through arbitration. Suspensions that short cost more money in arbitration than the amount of pay at stake, the document states.

The contract adjusts the way the office calculates overtime. Employees must work more than 40 hours in a week to be eligible for overtime, instead of working more than eight hours in one day.

Paid lunches were eliminated.

The contract creates a sick-leave cap and offers an annual incentive program for employees to receive a payment once they reach the cap. This process will prevent the build up of large balances that are paid to the employee upon leaving the office.

"This limits long-term liability and rewards personnel who display commitment to the job," the document states.

Michael Zhelesnik, with Clemans and Nelson, told the county commissioners the contract is a "great deal" that made the employees and management happy, and respects the county's tax payers.

Commissioners Mauro Cantalamessa and Niki Frenchko praised the contract.