120610 911 operators/dispatchers agree to one year wage freeze

  • By Sharon Haught
  • November 28, 2010
  • 317
                        
Wayne County and the union representing the 911 operators and dispatchers at the Justice Center have reached an agreement to freeze dispatcher wages at current levels through December of 2011. The tentative contract agreement was brought before the Wayne County Commissioners for approval during their November 24 meeting by Captain Charles Hardman of the Wayne County Sheriff’s Department. “We’re happy to recommend this as part of the negotiations team,” said Hardman adding that the contingents representing the bargaining unit and the county “were able to sit down and have meaningful conversations between the parties and actually resolve this within three meetings.” According to Hardman the terms of the three year contract agreement, which has already been ratified by the union, call for a zero percent increase in wages for the first year and a wage re-opener for the second and third years of the contract. Hardman noted that “the current wage scale stays in place for 2011” which would include any step increases called for under the contract. “Those steps are mainly for the new beginning dispatchers as they learn the system and work their way through the learning curve,” noted Commissioner Ann Obrecht. According to Hardman of the 14 employees covered by the contract only “four people are within those steps. Everybody else is already maxed out.” Hardman noted that while the agreement goes into place on November 1, 2010 the terms of the agreement go into effect on January 1 of 2011 and cover calendar years 2011, 2012 and 2013. The existing agreement between the county and the Ohio Patrolmen’s Benevolent Association, which represents the 911 dispatchers’ bargaining unit, expired on October 31, 2010. According to Wayne County Administrator Patrick Herron the terms of the prior three year agreement called for a three and a half percent pay increase for 2010, a three percent increase in 2009 and a two and a half percent increase in 2008. Because personnel costs represent the single largest line item in the Justice Center budget a significant impact on the Justice Center’s largest single expense will have a major impact on its overall budget. “The Justice Center budget is extremely tight so I don’t know what would have happened if they had taken raises,” observed Obrecht. “It would have been catastrophic. That’s how tight that budget is,” said Hardman adding “that budget is very, very tight. Any pay increase would have been very detrimental to that budget.” Having the contract negotiations behind it also allows the county to get a better fix on what it’s costs will be going forward. “Obviously it’s a big issue as you’re working through that budget trying to say ‘what is that cost going to be?’ Now we know what our fixed costs are going to be throughout 2011. That allows us to get a more accurate picture of where we need to be,” said Hardman. According to Hardman under the terms of the existing agreement between the county and the City of Wooster for the operation of the Justice Center, each party is responsible for half of the personnel costs associated with dispatching. “I want to thank everyone in the union for working on this issue and having meaningful negotiations and recognizing the economic times that we are in,” said Obrecht. “We certainly appreciate everyone working together to make this happen.” “The folks working there realize what the true economy is out there,” said Obrecht. “That’s what allowed us to get where we needed to be,” added Hardman. “Both sides were very meaningful in their discussions to come up with the best agreement for everyone involved,” said Hardman.


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