Road workers union signs deal for 2012

Workers in Whitman County’s road department will receive 1.5 percent pay raises for 2012, retroactive to Jan. 1.

County commissioners Monday unanimously approved a collective bargaining contract with the road employees union. The pay raise was the only substantial change to last year’s contract.

The 39 county road workers in the union are represented by the Teamsters Local Union 690 out of Spokane.

The Teamsters also represents workers in the jail and solid waste departments, and some courthouse employees.

Courthouse employees earlier this year each received one-time bonus of $550 after commissioners elected to tap a $386,000 special reserve fund for the raises and to purchase equipment for the information technology department.

“It should work out to be a little bit more than $550 for this year, and it’s sustainable,” said Commissioner Greg Partch. “But we just couldn’t do that from the current expense fund.”

Road workers are paid out of the road department budget, which is fed by a property tax levied on rural land owners especially for road work.

Courthouse employees are paid out of the current expense fund, which pays for general operations.

Jail employees received increases to the county’s share of their health insurance premiums under a contract signed late last year.

The solid waste union has yet to sign a 2012 contract. Sheriff’s deputies, who are represented by their own union, have also failed to sign.

Employees represented by the Teamsters received no pay raises in 2010 or 2011. The county cited declining revenues in holding the pay rates.