Local 222 has settled several contracts recently for Connecticut municipal workers, which contain no or minimal increases to healthcare costs.
In Norwich, Sublocal 37 settled a new three-year contract in what might be a record time: two and a half hours of negotiations produced an agreement with three percent wage increases each year, and no increase to their insurance for the life of the agreement, which will run from 2019-2022. The Sublocal 37 negotiating committee consisted of Steve Chiangi, Steve Martic and Shawn Gould.
In Wethersfield, Sublocal 81 negotiated two new agreements, covering non-supervisory (81-4082) and supervisory workers (81-4081), provides a two percent wage increase effective last December 24, with a 1.25 percent increase in the second year and a two percent increase in the third. Retirement fund contributions will increase one quarter of a percent each of the first two years, with no increase in the third year. Insurance will remain the same for all three years, and workers will receive one extra holiday.
Weekly hours for new hires will increase to 37.5 hours, with current employees (who work 35 hours) having the option to increase their hours if they choose to do so. The Sublocal 81-4082 non-supervisors negotiating committee consisted of Bridget Hacker and Eliane Zieller. The Sublocal 81-4081 Supervisors negotiating committee consisted of Regina Aleksandravicius and Celia Allison.
Sublocal 47, civilian dispatchers who work for the town of Vernon, settled a new contract retroactive to July 2017. Dispatchers will receive wage increases of 1.25 percent retroactive to July 1, 2017 and another 1.25 percent retroactive to July 1, 2018, and a 1.5 percent wage increase on July 1, 2019. The Police Records Clerk Supervisor and Police Record Clerks will receive a one-time pay increase of 45 cents per hour, effective July 1, 2017. Sublocal 47 members will receive an additional wage increase of twenty cents per hour beginning on January 1, 2020. At the expiration of this agreement, this additional wage increase will remain part of the members’ base wage.
Vernon dispatchers will see no increase in insurance cost share until the final three months of the three year contract, when it will increase from 10% to 13%. The new contract also includes an increase in uniform stipends for the dispatchers. The Sublocal 47 negotiating committee consisted of Jo-Ann Swider, Brian Smith, Leanne Mullen and James Willkins.
All three sublocals were assisted by Field Organizer Sherry Bryant.