Commission approves $12 million in pay raises

Jeff Schweers

Wednesday, Dec. 18, 1996 | 11:59 a.m.

Think of it as a $24.5 million Christmas present -- from county taxpayers to county employees.

The County Commission Tuesday approved collective bargaining agreements for about 6,300 county and University Medical Center staff that guarantee a 4 percent cost-of-living increase this year and a 4 percent hike next year.

The two-year cost-of-living increase does not affect employees with separate collective bargaining agreements -- such as firefighters, district attorney's office investigators and parks employees.

It does cover approximately 3,300 county staff and almost 3,000 UMC staff.

The pay hike for county staff will cost $6.3 million in the current first year, which goes from July 1 to June 30, and $6.6 million the second year, or $12.9 million. The negotiations began shortly after a classification and compensation adjustment last spring that raised salaries by $1 million.

The pay increase for UMC staff will cost the hospital $5.6 million this year and $6 million next year, or $11.6 million. Negotiations for that contract took 14 months, officials said.

The contract is retroactive to July 1.

Tom Beatty, executive director of the Nevada Service Employees Union Local 1107, which represents the county workers, said he was pleased with the results, noting that more than 90 percent of the membership ratified the contract.

About two-thirds of the total county staff belong to the union, but the contract provides for non-union staff covered under the job classifications in the contract.

Personnel Director Cheryl Miller said some negotiations took longer than normal because the union had a fairly new bargaining team. Beatty said it was the first full session he's had with the county team since moving to Nevada in 1994.

Among the approximately 19 articles amended was the procedure for employees who left the county to receive retroactive pay. Any employees who left voluntarily since the contract ended June 30, or the relatives of people who died after June 30, must apply to receive retroactive pay.

The commission also approved changes to a catastrophic leave program, which allows employees to bank vacation and sick leave and draw from it in the event of extended illness.

The commission also approved an $8,400 raise for Las Vegas Constable Bob Nolen, bringing his total salary to $72,000 a year. The salary increase was made following previous action by the Legislature raising the pay for constitutional officers.