The Kane County Coroner’s office reached a contract after six years of negotiations with a deputy coroners’ union and will have to pay $130,000 in retroactive salaries, overtime and uniform supplies under the agreement, according to county documents.
“I am glad we can now standardize our pay and it will help with our budget,” Coroner Rob Russell said.
Kane County’s Finance and Budget Committee approved a resolution for a supplemental budget adjustment for the coroner’s office and authorizing the execution of the contract last week, with no discussion. The full county board is expected to vote on the contract at its March 14 meeting.
Under the agreement, the coroner’s office must pay $92,400 in retroactive salary and wavers, $15,000 in overtime and $3,600 for uniform supplies, county documents stated. The Policeman’s Benevolent Labor Committee represents staff.
The union represents five deputy coroners and one staff member, Russell said. Employees unionized in 2009, he said.
Contingency funds will be used for the retroactive pay, the resolution states. Under the contract, union employees will also get a standard 2 percent raises, it stated.
Kane County officials initially rejected the contract, Russell said. “It was headed toward arbitration. At the last minute, the county decided not to do that and went ahead and settled,” he said. “My take is it was a fair contract. There had been a lot of work done on it.”
County board members may “have realized the county was in a bad position and there really wasn’t anything to gain going to arbitration,” Russell said.
The contract spells out how overtime is paid and no longer requires Russell’s office to pay per diems, as it has done in the past, he said.
Russell is relieved the contract is settled. “It is something that should have been done a long time ago,” he said.
Kane County Chairman Chris Lauzen had no comment. He said the matter is in the hands of the county board and he does not have a vote on the contract.
Gloria Casas is a freelance reporter for The Courier-News.
