Commissioners approve four-year contract

The Washington commissioners Thursday approved a four-year contract negotiated with Teamsters Union Local 205, which represents corrections officers at the county jail, retroactive to the start of 2014.
The pact includes wage increases of 3 percent for this year and in 2016, and 2.5 percent raises in 2015 and 2017.
Pay for unused sick days and personal days increased to $35 per day from a previous $30. A worker can accumulate up to 180 unused sick days.
Under the terms of the new contract, the county will establish an overtime sign-up sheet to identify employees who are interested in being called for overtime. Those who do not sign up will be deemed ineligible. The county will have a right to test those who want to be promoted to the position of corrections officer II. Those who take the test will receive a 25-cent per hour raise.
The parties agreed to study the ramifications of a 12-hour shift for jail guards.
In another labor matter, the county and members of AFSCME, which represents both adult and juvenile probation office employees, placed contract-related issues before a panel of labor arbitrators, including neutral arbitrator David Peterson of Bethel Park, Wednesday.
“We hope to hear something in four to six weeks,” said Charles Nicholls, Washington County director of human resources. The probation office employees’ pact with the county expired Dec. 31, 2012.