After working without a contract since 2009, Westchester County government employees belonging to Teamsters Local 456 recently ratified a seven-year deal that includes, for the first time, health care contributions by union members.
County Executive Rob Astorino announced the breakthrough in his April 25 State of the County address in White Plains.
“Our Teamsters union has overwhelmingly approved a new contract, which I hope will stand as a model for our seven other unions,” he proclaimed, saying that the agreement provides both the county and the union with “long-term financial certainty.”
The new contract is retroactive to 2009 and covers the union”™s 120 county government employees. It calls for retroactive raises for 2009, 2010 and 2011 of 3 percent, 3 percent and 3.25 percent, respectively. There will be no raises in 2012, 2013 and 2014, but a 2.75 percent increase in 2015, the last year of the contract.
And more significantly, all county employees who belonged to the Teamsters prior to the contract ratification will pay 10 percent of their health care costs starting July 1, and 12.5 percent starting Jan. 1, 2015. All employees hired after the contract ratification and all employees who become Teamsters will pay 20 percent of their health care costs from the start of their employment.
The contract also includes increases in copayments for doctor and emergency room visits and prescription drugs.
Astorino said the contract was “overwhelmingly” ratified by the union, and is awaiting approval by the county Board of Legislators.
Teamsters Local 456 President Eddie Doyle did not respond to requests for comment.
Personnel costs to the county over the life of the contract will be $9.6 million, which includes a lump-sum payment of $3.1 million to the county”™s Teamsters employees for the retroactive raises included in the contract.
The county will also save a projected $1.2 million over the life of the contract as a result of union members taking on a portion of their health care costs.
The other seven unions, representing approximately 4,000 county employees, are currently without contracts. An Astorino spokeswoman said there is no indication of whether agreements are near with those unions.
Prior to the agreement with Teamsters Local 456, none of the county”™s unionized employees contributed to their health care costs, resulting in $140 million in annual costs to the county.
Under the terms of a 2010 law, the county”™s non-union employees already contribute to the cost of their health care.
Those non-union employees pay either 10, 15 or 20 percent of their respective health care costs based on their salary and their coverage plan.
Astorino: No new taxes
In his third State of the County address, Westchester County Executive Rob Astorino pledged to hold the line on taxes and to fight for mandate relief in Albany. Since taking office two years ago, the county tax levy has fallen 2 percent, Astorino said.
“Come November, I will submit a balanced budget for the third year in a row that will have no increase in the county property tax levy.”
Astorino said he would fight “vigorously” against any attempt by state legislators to reinstate the commuter tax.
In addition, Astorino criticized lawmakers for failing to significantly reduce the burden of unfunded state mandates, nine of which account for 82 percent of the county”™s entire tax levy.
“Every city, town, village and school district is being ravaged right now,” he said. “Westchester to Albany: Code blue. The patient is dying. We need mandate relief now.”
