Non-union pay:Commissioners restore hikes

After a week of review, Whitman County commissioners voted unanimously Monday to restore scheduled pay raises for non-union employees.

The decision, which affects salaries of nearly one-third of the county’s employees, will cost the county’s operating budget $19,379.35 over what has been budgeted for 2010. The overall move will cost the county $23,062.34, but $3,682.99 had already been budgeted for the raises.

Employees receive “step” raises of three percent for every 18 months they are employed by the county. Step raises for non-union employees were frozen by commissioners last November as a negotiating chip to get the same concession from the three unions that are negotiating new contracts.

Commissioner Greg Partch said he was advised by Gary Hunt, the county’s hired labor negotiator, to lift the freeze when union employees voted against step freezes.

Restoration of the step raises was made retroactive to November.

Non-union employees are mostly appointed heads of county departments.

Commissioners last week tabled the move at the request of Commissioner Michael Largent to allow time to study the financial impacts of restoring the step raises.