Mahoney, CSEA leadership reach contract agreement after both accept mediator report

SYRACUSE, N.Y. — Onondaga County Executive Joanie Mahoney and the leadership of the Civil Service Employees Association (CSEA) Local 834 union have accepted a mediator’s report on their contract negotiations for a new five-year agreement.

The two sides have accepted fact-finding report that the State of New York Public Employment Relations Board (PERB) recently issued, calling it “a fair and acceptable compromise,” Onondaga County said in a news release issued Friday.

The Onondaga County Legislature and CSEA membership will both need to approve the PERB-mediated agreement, according to the release.

The Onondaga County release outlined, what it called, “key recommendations” from the fact-finding report.

The agreement is retroactive to 2013 (the previous contract expired Dec. 31, 2012). It called for no salary increase in 2013; a 2 percent increase, effective July 1, 2014; a 2.25 percent increase, effective Jan 1, 2015; a 2.25 percent increase in 2016; and a 2.75 percent increase in 2017.

CSEA members will also increase their health-benefit contribution from the current 12 percent to 17.5 percent this year and to 20 percent in 2016, according to the Onondaga County release.

The agreement also calls for implementation of a random drug- and alcohol-testing program for “safety sensitive” positions, including correction officers, public-safety dispatchers, and probation officers.

In addition, the deal calls for work-rule changes involving “improved” holiday scheduling for 24/7 employees and job bidding, Onondaga County said.

“Onondaga County is lucky to have a tremendous workforce of hard-working, dedicated employees. I am pleased that, after a long and thorough process, we are finally able to reach a fair and equitable settlement with CSEA that balances our commitment to our employees with our commitment to the rest of the taxpayers in the county,” Onondaga County Executive Joanie Mahoney said in the release.

Kathy Zabinski, president of CSEA Local 834, declined comment to BJNN until she’s had a chance to speak to the union’s local membership. The union represents more than 2,500 Onondaga County employees.

Contact Reinhardt at ereinhardt@cnybj.com