Pa. COs get wage increase approved: Corrections officers at Cambria County Prison won an arbitration award last year and received retroactive 42-cent hourly raises

JOHNSTOWN, Pa. — New five-year contracts for unionized jail guards and county detectives were approved Thursday by the Cambria County commissioners.

Both contracts are retroactive to January of 2014.

Corrections officers at Cambria County Prison, represented by United Mine Workers of America, won an arbitration award last year and received retroactive 42-cent hourly raises.

Their 2013 rates were $16.49, $17.52 and $19.06 per hour, depending on experience. The 42-cent raise represents increases of 2.5 percent, 2.4 percent and 2.2 percent.

Raises will be 47 cents this year, 48 cents in 2016, 53 cents in 2017 and 56 cents in 2018.

Detectives accepted a wage freeze last year. This year’s 3 percent raise of 55 cents an hour brings them to $18.05. Raises will be 60 cents each year from 2016-2018.

The commissioners also moved forward with accepting a $27,684 state Department of Aging grant to be used for repairs and expanding an arts and crafts area at The Mainline Community Center, formerly Cresson Senior Center.

H.F. Lenz Co. was named to begin engineering work on the project to address some structural concerns on the Mainline center’s second floor.

There is no immediate problem, President Commissioner Douglas R. Lengenfelder said.

“We are doing this so in the future it would not become a problem,” Lengenfelder said. “We are trying to be proactive.”

Commissioner Tom Chernisky said the Cresson facility is very popular.

“This is a good resource for the Cresson and Mainline areas,” Chernisky said.

Another state grant – this one from the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission – will help to prevent more problems with the courthouse roof.

Originally obtained to pay for lightning damage, the $22,500 matching grant was approved for additional work after insurance covered the storm damage, Lengenfelder explained.

County grant writer John Dubnansky said plenty of preventive work is needed on the historic building’s slate roof. The first task is to install some safety features to protect workers making the repairs.

Dubnansky commended the state agency’s workers for their help.

“It was good to work with the Historical and Museum Commission,” Dubnansky said. “They were very flexible and helpful.”

The commissioners also approved the appointment of deputy tax collectors.

A new law allows each municipal tax collector to name a deputy, poised to take over if the elected tax collector can no longer serve.

McClatchy-Tribune News Service

“If a tax collector dies or can no longer serve, it actually freezes the whole process until we can get a replacement,” Lengenfelder said. “We want to make sure we maintain control of the tax collection.”

Source: CorrectionsOne.com