Butler County nonunion workers will pay more for their health care benefits next year, but may not get a raise to go along with it.

The county commissioners Wednesday approved a revised employee co-payment plan with Highmark, replacing a 1.5 percent payroll deduction with paying 5 percent to 10 percent of the premium cost, depending on the plan the roughly 170 employees choose.

The average increased cost to the workers was unavailable.

At the county salary board meeting preceding the commissioners meeting, the motion to give nonunion workers a 2 percent pay hike failed.

Commissioners Bill McCarrier and Dale Pinkerton support the raise. Commissioner Jim Eckstein and county Controller Ben Holland, who sent his second deputy Sherry Britton to vote on his behalf, opposed the increase.

Eckstein said he wants 80 percent of those workers to receive the 2 percent, because the rest are either overpaid or underpaid.

According to Eckstein, 14 percent of nonunion workers are overpaid based on a salary study, so their pays should be frozen while the underpaid 6 percent should receive more than 2 percent.

The salary study set pay ranges for various county posts based on what other counties pay. Eckstein maintains any county jobs with salaries exceeding the study’s ranges are overpaid.

He said the county must address the findings of the salary study.

“We perpetuate inequities,” Eckstein said about not adjusting salaries.

Holland agreed with Eckstein’s rationale, saying in an interview a proposed 2015 budget is needed first to determine what raises the county can afford to give.

McCarrier later said the raise would help workers who now must pay more for health coverage.