Commissioners agree to HCSO labor proposal

The Highland County Press

Based on a recommendation by labor consultant Bob Cross, of Cross Management Consulting Services, the Highland County Board of Commissioners have voted to accept a contract proposal for collective bargaining unit employees at the Highland County Sheriff's Office.

After a brief executive session at the commissioners' April 4 meeting, board president Shane Wilkin said the county agreed to the following pay increases for the sheriff's FOP union employees:

• Effective July 1, 2012 – a 1-percent increase;

• Effective Jan. 1, 2013 – a 1-percent increase;

• Effective July 1, 2013 – a 1-percent increase;

• Effective Jan. 1, 2014 – a 1-percent increase; and,

• Effective July 1, 2014 – a 2-percent increase.

If approved by the union, the contract would be in effect through Dec. 31, 2014.

"Based on fact finding and binding arbitration that we went through last year, this is as probably as good as we could expect," Wilkin said.

By agreeing to Cross' recommendation, the county saved the added expenses of fact finding and binding arbitration.

Wilkin said the first phase of the contract would add about $11,000 to the budget.

On Thursday, Highland County Sheriff Ron Ward said, "The union has approved the tentative contract, but not signed it."

Ward said he anticipates the FOP will sign the contract some time within the coming week. 

"The way I look at it, this contract had a lot of give and take," Ward said. "Did everyone get what they wanted? No. I maintained management rights, and the commissioners took care of it as far as the fiscal situation. We met in mediation in March, and it went really well with both sides, which led to the agreement the commissioners signed (Wednesday)."