County Administrator Judi Boyko told the Journal-News the early raises were a matter of equity.
“The social service agencies under the commissioners’ authority comprise about two-thirds of the full complement of commissioners’ employees,” Boyko said. “The non-bargaining employees received their wage adjustments in January and although the schedule is what the bargaining units negotiated, the commissioners wanted to demonstrate equity among all of their employees.”
Just like the non-union employees and the other unions that have ratified new deals this year, the BCCS and JFS workers received 5% pay hikes and both unions negotiated higher minimum wage ranges.
The lowest Children Services job classification wage rate increased 20.6% to $20.08 per hour or $41,766 annually. The maximum rate for those secretaries increased 32.6% to $58,136 annually. The minimum range for a social worker in the highest classification — with a masters degree — increased 8.2% from $26.01 to $28.15 hourly or $58,552 per year. The maximum rate jumped 19.5% from $32.25 to $38.56 or $80,204 annually.
Long-time workers also got bonuses, those who have worked at the agency prior to 2008 received a $1,750 stipend and workers hired between 2008 and 2015 were awarded $1,250.
The new minimum pay rate for unit support workers at JFS is $18.25 hourly or $37,960 per year, a 21% increase. The maximum rate for the lowest job classification increased 32.8% to $52,499. The minimum rate for the highest job classification increased 12.8% to $23.42 hourly or $48,713 annually. The maximum for a social services worker 3 went up 24.8% to $68,785.
JFS workers hired prior to 2015 received a $1,750 bonus plus 25 cents added to their new base pay rate and employees who worked there between 2015 and 2020 got a $750 stipend.
The county has been making a concerted effort to bring all of it’s employees up to competitive wages to help with employee attraction and retention, Executive Director of Human and Social Services Julie Gilbert said these contracts should do it.
“Now we are at a competitive wage with the scales that have been put in place. When you look at what other counties are doing, we hope to remain competitive and feel that these scales will get us through to the next contract,” she said and later added. “I feel that these contracts not only address the growing needs of our workforce but are also financially sound and fiscally responsible.”
She said the main focus of these negotiations was wages and any other tweaks were minor. After this year the unions have agreed to return to the commissioners’ “two-plus-two” performance pay plan in the final two years of the contract.
The union chiefs could not be reached for comment.
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