Will County Workers Back On The Job After Approving Contract
JOLIET, Ill. (CBS) -- Will County employees returned to work Thursday after a 2-1/2 week strike and overwhelmingly approved a new contract.
The new contract includes cost-of-living salary increases of 4-1/2 percent over the next three years. A new salary schedule will move many employees up two steps on the pay scale in June 2015, resulting in an additional raise.
Will County Workers OK Contract
Employees also will received annual 2-1/2 percent step pay increases.
Health care premiums also were a sticking point. The union argued that the county's earlier offers were structured in such a way that increases in the health care premiums paid by employees would wipe out any pay raise. The proposed contract will phase in the changes to health insurance premiums over three years.
"Our members, 1,000 Will County employees who have been on strike for more than two weeks, are glad to have reached a fair settlement that achieves their goals of fair pay and keeping health care affordable," said American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees spokesman Anders Lindall.
County board members are expected to approve the new contract at their next meeting, on Dec. 19.
