Feb 15, 2023 2 min read

North Franklin Township supervisors approved a five-year contract with their road crew Tuesday evening.

Board Chairman Bob Sabot said the current contract expires at the end of the year, and that negotiations began in January, which went smoother than he expected.

“I didn’t think it would go as easily as it did. The two main things in the contract were wages and health benefits,” Sabot said.

According to Sabot, employees did not contribute to their health plan under the previous contract. Changing that was a sticking point for the township.

“We thought it would become a stumbling block, but as time went on, it became clear it was not,” Sabot said.

The road crew includes three employees who will receive a 5% wage increase to $30.75 per hour for 2024. The increase drops to 3.5% for subsequent years.

“It will bring them in line with, for instance, Canton Township and slightly under what South Strabane makes,” Sabot said. “Everything else fell into place pretty easily.”

While the contract does not fully kick in until the beginning of next year, the changes to the health plan and first wage increase will start May 1.

In other business, the supervisors hired real estate firm Cushman & Wakefield to assist in the sale of the current township building while a new one is under construction.

Ground was broken on the $2.5 million complex along Franklin Farms Road last spring. The supervisors hope to be moved in by Dec. 31. Sabot said they are looking for a commercial buyer, and have had the building assessed at $350,000.

“We felt we needed to get a Realtor in place. If they do sell it ahead of time, it’s just going to be that we can’t move out until we’re ready to move into our new place.”