York County approves new deal with nursing home union

The agreement with Pleasant Acres includes 2.75 percent wage increases for 2012, 2013 and 2014.

York, PA -

More than one year and eight months after the previous contract expired, county commissioners on Wednesday approved a four-year collective bargaining agreement with the union for Pleasant Acres Nursing and Rehabilitation Center.

"We have been working on this for over two years. ...We really got down to business over the past couple months," Kristy Bixler, director of human resources for the county, told commissioners Wednesday morning, adding that they started negotiations in 2010.

The agreement takes effect retroactively, beginning Jan. 1, 2011, and runs through Dec. 31, 2014. And Bixler said there are about 390 bargaining members who work at Pleasant Acres.

For 2011, the agreement includes no wage increases. But it includes 2.75 percent wage increases for 2012, 2013 and 2014.

"With the rising costs of gasoline, to get back and forth to work, the rising costs of food, ... with the costs of everything going up -- it's necessary just to maintain a decent standard of living for our members and their families," said Herbert C. Garber, recording secretary and business agent for Teamsters Local 776, which represents workers under the contract.

Bixler said the contract provides a second health insurance options for employees. And she said that the second "lesser plan" is the only one new hires can choose.

She said they were "able to increase prescription co-pays to match non-bargaining employees."

Bixler said they also instituted another personal holiday, "which will hopefully save on some holiday costs for the nursing home, where employees would be able to take a day off rather than have Columbus Day as an actual holiday."

Bixler also said the contract contains language that would allow the county to review changing retirement benefits for new hires.

"There hasn't been any change to the retirement benefits at this point," Bixler said after the meeting.

The previous contract covered Jan. 1, 2007, through Dec. 31, 2010. York County Chief Clerk/Administrator Chuck Noll said the new agreement reflects economic conditions in York County.

"So I think it's an excellent resolution to our ... negotiations," Noll said.

Previously

On the issue of wages, the agreement that county commissioners approved Wednesday resembles one of the recommendations from an Oct. 31, 2011, fact-finder's report.

The report states that the union was seeking a 4 percent wage increase each year, while the county proposed no increase for 2011, a 1.5 percent increase for 2012, a 1.5 percent increase for 2013 and a 2 percent increase for 2014.

The fact-finder's report recommended a wage freeze for 2011 and 2.75 percent wage increases for 2012 and 2013.

"A total increase of 5.5 (percent) over three ... years represents a balance between the County's need to be fiscally conservative while providing bargaining unit members with modest increases over the life of the contract," State College lawyer Robert C. Gifford, who was appointed by the Pennsylvania Labor Relations Board as the fact-finder, wrote at the time.

Shortly after the report was completed, Teamsters Local 776 rejected it.

Wages weren't the only issue being negotiated. That report included recommendations on paid time off, shift differentials, hospitalization and life insurance, and other issues.

Quotable

"We're very pleased. It was a very long and arduous process of negotiating this agreement," said Herbert C. Garber, recording secretary and business agent for Teamsters Local 776, which represents workers covered under the collective bargaining agreement at Pleasant Acres Nursing and Rehabilitation Center.

@edmahonreporter; 771-2089

Source: http://www.ydr.com/local/ci_21474538/york-county-approves-new-deal-nursing-home-union?source=rss

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