County commissioners set to OK 2 labor contracts
Butler County commissioners will vote Wednesday to accept arbitration awards for two of the county’s bargaining units.
The commissioners discussed the arbitration settlement this morning at their meeting.
The three-year contracts are for the 98 corrections officers at the Butler County Prison — who are represented by the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees — and for the 10 assistant district attorneys and assistant public defenders — represented by the United Steelworkers of America.
For 2015, the units will receive a 2.5 percent increase. For 2016 and 2017, they will receive a 3 percent increase each year. The 2015 pay increase is retroactive to July 1 for corrections officers and retroactive to Jan. 1 for ADAs and APDs.
County solicitor Mike English said that the arbitration is legally binding and the commissioners have to accept it.
“You don’t have an option,” English said at Monday’s commissioner’s meeting.
Commissioner Bill McCarrier, board chairman, said he expects to get some heat from the public, but he noted that the county does not have any choice.
Commissioner Jim Eckstein agreed.
“We did the best we could,” Eckstein said.