Township Council has approved a three-year contract for the 52 employees who belong to the blue collar and white collar unions.
By Lea Kahn, Staff Writer
Township Council has approved a three-year contract for the 52 employees who belong to the blue collar and white collar unions, and who are in line to receive pay hikes in two of the three years of their new contract.
(See related story, page 3A)
The contracts for the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Locals 2257 and 2476 are retroactive to January and expire Dec. 31, 2016. The employees will not receive a pay hike this year, but they will get salary increases of 1.95 percent in 2015 and 2.25 percent in 2016.
The 26 white collar union employees include clerks and secretaries, the Deputy Municipal Court administrator, as well as Public Works inspectors, Public Health investigators, the assistant zoning officer and the animal control officer.
The 26-member blue collar union covers employees who work for the Department of Public Works.
The new contract freezes longevity pay — extra money that an employee receives beginning with the eighth year of employment — at the 2013 rate. Employees hired before Jan. 1, 2014 will receive longevity pay, but not those hired after that date.
An employee who has worked for Lawrence Township for eight years receives an extra $800. Employees who have worked for the township for 12 years receive $1,100, and those who have worked for 16 years earn an extra $1,400.
At 20 years, the longevity pay is $1,700 and at 24 years, it is $2,000. Employees who have worked for the township for 28 years get an extra $2,300.
The new contract also caps unused sick leave pay out at $15,000 for employees hired before Dec. 31, 2009 and at $10,000 for those hired after Jan. 1, 2010. Employees who are hired after Jan. 1, 2014 will not receive payment for unused sick time when they retire.
”It is also important to understand that Lawrence Township does not give lifetime health benefits to retirees,” Municipal Manager Richard Krawczun said. “There is a 10-year maximum (for health benefits) for civilian employee retirees (under the new contract). Prior to this contract, it was 15 years.”
The 10-year maximum health insurance benefit applies to employees hired before Dec. 31, 2009. Employees hired after Jan. 1, 2010 do not receive health insurance benefits in retirement, Mr. Krawczun said.
For 2014, the salary range for a violations clerk is $27,505 to $36,025, depending on how many years the employee has worked for the township. At the end of the three-year contract, the top salary will be $37,554. It takes 11 years to get to the top of the pay range.
A Public Health investigator will earn between $38,487 to $53,637 in 2014, and a senior Public Works inspector will be paid between $42,210 and $54,172. The Building Inspector salary ranges from $44,551 to $54,993, while the Senior Building Inspector is paid between $55,102 and $71,845.
The salary for a Department of Public Works laborer begins at $33,887 and goes up to $47,565 for 2014. A senior recreation maintenance worker will earn between $37,706 and $51,519. A traffic maintenance worker and the motor broom driver will be paid between $39,749 and $57,901.
A heavy equipment operator’s salary ranges from $39,749 to $63,405 in 2014. A diesel/hydraulics mechanic will be paid between $43,8334 and $65,789. A senior diesel mechanic will earn $46,896 to $70,704.
Mayor Cathleen Lewis praised Mr. Krawczun for his efforts, adding that “(Township Council) hears a lot about the plans that we should be doing — get rid of longevity, cut the increases in salaries. Kudos to you.”
Mr. Krawczun replied that “it does take both sides to reach an agreement.”