By Michael Howell
A negotiated contract between the Laborers’ International Union Local #1686 and the Ravalli County Road and Bridge Department was approved by the Ravalli County Commissioners last week. The negotiations were deadlocked for over a year and a half as former Commissioner Ron Stoltz bargained on behalf of the county. The newly adopted contract will apply retroactively to the time the last contract expired and will be in effect through the 2016 Fiscal Year.
Human Resource Director Robert Jenni, who also sat at the bargaining table along with Stoltz, said, “He was asking for some concessions from the Road Department employees that weren’t palatable and it delayed our negotiations for some time.”
Stoltz, who was defeated in the Republican primary elections in his bid for a second term, left office in January. He was replaced by Commissioner Greg Chilcott at the bargaining table and, working together, Chilcott and Jenni were able in a little under three months to arrive at a negotiated agreement acceptable to the Road Department employees.
The new contract includes a pay scale chart for fiscal years 2013 to 2015 showing graduated increases in hourly wages that will be applied retroactively:
POSITION FY 2013 FY 2014 FY 2015
Crew Leader $20.48 $20.91 $21.22
Mechanic/Fabricator ` $19.76 $20.17 $20.47
Driver/Operator $19.52 $19.93 $20.23
Work Zone Assistant $14.66 $14.97 $15.19
Effective on July 1, of each year each employee shall receive a 1% longevity increase. And from July1, 2015 through June 30, 2016, the County will grant the same cost of living increases as it grants to the majority of other County employees.
One of the most significant changes, according to Jenni, was in overtime pay. The old contract allowed for overtime pay on a daily basis but the new contract requires that overtime pay be based on a 40-hour week. A regular work week is defined as consisting of 40 hours, five regular work days Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. with a 30-minute unpaid lunch break at mid-shift.
A 40-hour week consisting of four consecutive 10 hour days from 7 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. with a 30-minute unpaid lunch break was also approved, “unless weather emergencies or other operational conditions necessitate an alternate schedule.” Emergencies are defined as “an imminent threat to the public safety of the citizens of Ravalli County.”
All hours worked on Saturdays or Sundays shall be paid at the rate of time and a half the employee’s regular rate of pay.
As an option to health insurance contributions provided by the county for a county provided health care coverage, an employee may instead accept cash-in-lieu, “but only if it is determined to be legal by the Attorney General or a Court of competent jurisdiction.” Currently, this would amount to about $285 per month with the understanding that the money is not an increase in salary but will be added to his/her monthly earnings and is subject to all taxation and deductions. The employee must show proof of his/her own insurance coverage as well.
Jenni called it a big improvement over the last contract. Deputy County Attorney Howard Recht, who also participated in the negotiations, said, “We got a large concession from the Union members and we should accept it.”
Road Department Supervisor Dusty McKern said he had a little heartburn with some of the proposed agreement related to compensatory time. He said he was coming late into this (since he was never included by Stoltz in the negotiation process) and would “abstain” from making any recommendation.
This, in turn, generated some concern for Commissioners Jeff Burrows and J.R. Iman. McKern then qualified his remarks saying, “I’d ask the Board not to read too much into my abstention. I think this contract is favorable for the county, more so than it is the bargaining unit. I think they have conceded more than the county has in this contract.”
Jenni agreed, saying, “Did we get everything? Absolutely not. But we did get a lot of very significant concessions.”
The contract was approved unanimously by the Commissioners.