By MARY ANN GREIER
Staff Writer
LISBON - The Columbiana County Board of Developmental Disabilities finally has the last of its unions under full contract, with the completed document encompassing an April agreement which included wage increases.
The board approved the new contract with the county Developmental Disabilities Employees Association in its entirety Tuesday night. Union members ratified the four-year contract in a vote taken Aug. 5.
The two sides averted a strike last April after a marathon negotiating session in Cleveland, with both the board and the union approving a tentative agreement on the major issues. The details of that agreement, including any raises, weren't made public until now.
According to Devon, union members received a lump sump payment of $200 apiece for 2009, a wage increase of 1.25 percent on their hourly rate, but not on the base rate for this year, an increase of 1.5 percent (including on the base rate) in 2011 and an increase of 2 percent (including on the base rate) in 2012. The contract expires Dec. 31, 2012.
For holidays, he explained one day was eliminated from Christmas leave, but having the day after Thanksgiving off was made part of the package. Health insurance premium contributions by employees stayed the same, at a cost of $45 a month for a single plan and $90 a month for a family plan.
Union President Barb Norton said the part of the contract that hadn't been approved until now cleaned up some language. They also put into writing a policy regarding military leave so that any employee serving their country would continue to accumulate credit for time on the job instead of having their time stop until their return.
She was just glad the contract was finished.
"It was a long process, but it's finally over," Devon said.
The prior contract expired Dec. 31, 2008 and negotiations became sticky this year. The board rejected a fact-finder report in March and union membership opened a strike headquarters in April, issuing a notice of intent to strike, setting a date for a possible strike and then withdrawing the strike notice before a tentative agreement on the major issues was reached near the end of April.
The CCDDEA represents 106 full-time, part-time and intermittant staff, specifically nurses, custodians, secretaries, clerical specialists, workshop specialists, vehicle operators, vehicle operator aides, food service workers, personal service attendants, habilitation specialists, a maintenance repair worker and a custodian-truck driver.
The union dispute did not involve teachers or teacher aides at Robert Bycroft School or service and support administrators. Both the Robert Bycroft Education Association and the Service and Support Administrators union settled their union contracts last year.
At the beginning of the meeting, Norton told board members an area of the Employment Development Inc. Central workshop in Lisbon was dangerous due to a shortage of staff and a mix of clients with some behavioral issues. She said their plan to create an additional personal service assistant position at EDI Central was a good idea, but suggested a need for another workshop specialist.
Devon told the board the concern was reported to management and it was being looked into. He also said they met state standards for staffing and that every building had at least three more employees than the state standard, but agreed with Norton that there were some problems in the area in question. Norton explained the area was located on the production floor.
When asked for more information, she said she felt it would be safer for both staff and clients if they had at least one more staff person. She said a psa would help, but wouldn't solve the problem.
In other business, the board:
renewed a one-year contract with Cynthia Stoughton as director of education at Robert Bycroft School for $69,586.
renewed a one-year contract with EDI South Production Manager Greg Tompkins at his current salary.
agreed to create an assistant production manager position at EDI Central due to the abnormal hours for the candle-making business, to be paid a salary beginning at $27,994 per year. Devon said he wanted the position created in case a need develops once the candle business is going more. Clients have been building up product, with all sizes of candles in stock in at least seven scents.
agreed to sell two older vehicles at the county auction in September (a 1996 Crown Victoria with at least 200,000 miles on it and a 1999 cargo van with at least 160,000 miles on it).
Mary Ann Greier can be reached at mgreier@salemnews.net
