Tonawanda News
EERIE COUNTY, New York — Two employees unions who represent the Erie County Holding Center and Correctional Facility have agreed to ratified contracts, according to county executive Mark Poloncarz.
The agreements are with the CSEA Local 815 Erie County Corrections Officer Unit representing employees in the Correctional Facility and Teamsters Local 264, representing employees in the Holding Center and Correctional Facility.
Poloncarz said he will be transmitting the pacts to the Erie County Legislature for approval and will seek an efficiency grant from the Erie County Fiscal Stability Authority to pay for a portion of the agreements.
The unions have agreed to pay a percentage of their health care costs both while working and after retirement. Under the previous contracts, both unions enjoyed 100 percent county-funded health insurance for active employees and retirees, that Poloncarz said will be a cost-savings measure.
“These contracts represent a new way of doing business for Erie County, and I want to thank the leadership of the CSEA Corrections Officer Unit and Teamsters for coming to the table and negotiating in a way that was fair to their members, fair to taxpayers and understanding of the fiscal realities facing Erie County,” Poloncarz said. “Providing 100 percent county-funded health insurance for employees and retirees places a huge strain on county finances and is unsustainable in the long run. These agreements will make it possible to control such costs in the future.”
Poloncarz also noted that with the ongoing mandate from the New York State Commission of Correction requiring the county to add 72 new sworn personnel in the jails, the new contracts will require the new deputies and correction officers to pay for health insurance once they start employment. The contracts will also allow the county to better recruit nurses and medical staff for the county’s Correctional Health Division, satisfying U.S. Department of Justice requirements for medical staffing.
The Teamsters, representing approximately 540 members and whose contract expired on Dec. 31, 2004, approved a pact requiring new hires and long-term employees to pay 10 percent of health insurance costs, while current employees retiring after 2016 would also pay 10 percent of their retirement premiums. The union as a whole also agreed to eliminate summer hours that added up to three additional paid days off, while cost of living benefits would change.
The CSEA Corrections Officers Unit, comprised of roughly 230 staff, and whose contract expired on Dec. 31, 2006, ratified an agreement requiring all current members to pay 15 percent of insurance costs. New hires would enroll in a less expensive plan and pay 15 percent of that premium.
“The Commission of Correction has mandated that we fill 30 new positions in jail management in 2013, followed by 15 more positions in 2014,” Poloncarz said. “The cost of health insurance for these new positions was very concerning, and this agreement will ease the burden considerably. Now, not only will these new employees be paying a percentage of their health care from the day they start working, there will also be significant savings upon retirement. This will result in millions of dollars in savings over the next few years and more in the years to come.”
The ratified contracts are the first approved this year by county employees, Poloncarz said, following earlier contract rejections by the CSEA white collar unit and the Erie County Sheriff Police Benevolent Association. The ratified contracts require approval from the Erie County Legislature prior to taking effect.
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