Rockland County and CSEA union reach five-year contract with raises for 1,272 employees
Steve LiebermanNEW CITY — Rockland County and its largest employee union have reached a five-year contract that provides two lump sum payments and three years of pay raises that will cost an average taxpayer about $48 this year.
The Rockland Legislature approved the contract Wednesday night, and the Civil Service Employees Association had ratified it after negotiations with County Executive Ed Day's administration. Union members had worked without a contract since 2016.
“My goal is to reach fair, responsible contracts with all of our unions and this is another positive step in that direction,” Day said. “Thank you to the union and to the bargaining team from our Department of Personnel for all the work they have put into developing this contract.”
County officials said the $4 million covering the first four years of the contract was set aside in the county’s 2019 budget, so there is no additional cost to taxpayers. It comes out to about $48 this year on the average county property tax bill of about $1,300.
The fifth year has not been budgeted.
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The contract's structure of lump payments and incremental pay raises is similar to the five-year accord reached in May with the Rockland Association of Management. which represents 190 employees. The Legislature also approved that contract on Wednesday.
According to a prepared statement on the contract, the civil service union pact, covering August 2016 to Dec. 31, 2021, includes:
• 2017: $800 lump sum, with no money added to base salaries.
• 2018: $1500 lump sum, with no money added to base salaries.
• 2019: 2% raise on an employee's base salary.
• 2020: 3% raise on an employee's base salary, effective Aug. 1, 2020.
• 2021: 3% raise on an employee's base salary, effective Aug. 21, 2021.
The number of vacation days an employee can accrue was reduced and increases the number ofillicit drugs that workers can be screened for using.
The county is negotiating contracts with or involved in mediation with four other unions representing county employees who haveexpired contracts:
• United Public Employees Union Local 424, expired July 31, 2016.
• Rockland District Attorney's Office Undercover Investigators, expired Dec. 31, 2010.
• Rockland County District Attorney's Office Criminal Investigators Association, expired Dec. 31, 2017.
• Superior Officers Council of the Sheriff's Correction Officers Association, expired Dec. 31, 2010.
The contracts with the Rockland Sheriff's Deputies Association and the Rockland County Sheriff’s Transport & Relief Deputies Association's contract expire Dec. 31, 2019.