Thursday, February 15, 2007
Lucas County (Ohio) Sheriff's Department workers win wage increases, health and safety improvements
UAW-represented deputies, corrections officers and other workers for the Lucas County Sheriff’s Department in northwest Ohio overwhelmingly ratified a new contract that improves wages and health and safety.
The contract, which was approved earlier this month on a 95 percent majority vote, covers 450 deputies, corrections officers, dispatchers, counselors, clerks, and courthouse and maintenance employees within the department, which is headquartered in Toledo.
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Photo: Gary Condon |
The contract, which expires, Dec. 31, 2008, includes a 3 percent retroactive raise for 2006 and 3 percent raises this year and next year. This is the first UAW contract for the workers, who had been represented by the Ohio Patrolmen’s Benevolent Association until 2006.
Health and safety issues were a major focus of the negotiations with the county, said deputy Matt Luettke, chairman of the bargaining committee. Union negotiators won a joint health and safety committee and will soon have a trained and properly equipped extraction team. Bargainers also negotiated shotgun racks for patrol cars and shank vests for corrections workers.
“Getting these issues worked on was one of our major concerns. We talked about protective issues and protective equipment,” Luettke said. “We’ve had a lot of incidents. It doesn’t take much to sharpen anything. An inmate with a pencil can do damage.”
The UAW also represents command officers in the sheriff’s department.