THE FOLLOWING VERMILION COUNTY BOARD MTG PREVIEW STORY IS BY BILL PICKETT
Employees who work for Vermilion County could soon receive both a pay hike and bonus. The Vermilion County Board is set to vote this (Tuesday) evening on a combined resolution and budget amendment covering the increases.
The County has been studying for months the need to adjust compensation for its employees because of the current market conditions and in light of comparable County government groups statewide.
In addition, each employee will receive a premium payment for their service during Covid-19 and the resulting challenging economic times. Money for those payments will come from ARPA funds the county received to help it recover from the pandemic. The premium will be $5-thousand dollars for employees in the listed groups, and for employees in the FOP Corrections and IBEW units with increases below $5 per hour, and who, despite the increases are still a little lower than other employees in other wage categories, a separate $800 premium check would be paid on the last payroll of the County’s 2021-2022 fiscal year.
The County Board will be voting on a proposal to adjust the annual wage compensation of each employee group – with proposed increases of 3-dollars, 5-dollars, or 6-dollars per hour, or such adjustment tool as needed to accomplish such wage increases.
The County has negotiated the increases with its respective bargaining units. And each of the unions or collective bargaining agent has ratified the proposed three year contract which would begin on December 1, 2022.
The County Board vote, if approved, would also extend either the same or similar benefits to non-union employees in each department associated with the listed bargaining units.
The County Board previously approved a contract and wage increases for the Detention Center and Laborer’s union at its July meeting. The vote this evening would ratify agreements with Teamsters Local 26, Fraternal Order of Police Correctional Sergeant’s unit, Fraternal Order of Police Correctional Officers unit, Fraternal Order of Police Patrol/Deputies unit, International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Judicial unit, and International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Non-judicial unit. The wage benefits would be extended to non-union employees within each department.
The County Board meets at 6:00 p.m. Tuesday at the Vermilion Administration Building at 201 North Vermilion Street.
Here are the groups and proposed increases which are scheduled to be considered by the County Board this (Tuesday) evening:
- General Teamsters Local Union 26 — a $3 per hour increase with additional annual increases of 3.5 percent, 3-percent, and 3-percent.
- Fraternal Order of Police – Correctional Sergeant’s Unit – a $5 per hour increase, with additional annual increases of 3.5%, 3% and 3%.
- Fraternal Order of Police – Correctional Officers Unit – $3 and $5 per hour increases and annual increases of 3.5%, 3% and 3%.
- Fraternal Order of Police Patrol/Deputies Unit – a $6.67 per hour increase, followed by annual increases of 3.5%, 3% and 3%.
- International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local 21 – Judicial Unit — $3 and $5 per hour increases followed by annual increases of 3.25%, 3.125% and 3.125%.
- International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local 21 – Non-judicial unit — a $3 an hour increase, followed by annual increases of 3.25%, 3.125% and 3.125%.
The Finance and Personnel Committee of the County Board forwarded the proposal to the full County Board last night with six committee members voting in favor and one absent.
