Lake County Laborers agree to concessions

Laborers working for the Lake County Forest Preserve District have agreed to shave raises under a proposed two-year contract extension.

Instead of a 5 percent pay increase that had been due Dec. 1, 2010, members of Construction and General Laborer Local 152 would receive a 2 percent increase under the agreement being considered by the forest preserve district.

Increases of 1.5 percent and 2 percent would be received in subsequent years under the agreement, which would expire Nov. 30, 2013, instead of Nov. 30, 2011. Those percentages could increase if any nonunion workers receive larger increases this year or next.

Salary grades would remain at Dec. 1, 2009, levels as part of the agreement, and no union members would be laid off through Nov. 30, 2011.

The salary range for laborer union workers would remain at $22.46 to $40.14 an hour through 2013, according to the district.

The contract covers about 75 workers with more than two dozen job titles. The five-year agreement had another year to go, but the district approached the union about concessions due to budget concerns.

“That's pretty much what it came down to,” said Mary Kann, director of administration for the district.

A union spokesman was not immediately available.

The proposed extension will be considered Thursday by the district's finance and administrative committee and will go to the full forest board for a vote on Tuesday.

Based on the reduction in salary increases, the district would save nearly $125,000 for the current budget year.

The district has 227 full- and part-time employees. About 80 of those, or about a third, are in one of two unions.

Forest preserve officials soon will begin negotiations with the Fraternal Order of Police for 10 rangers whose contract expired at the end of 2010.

The district again is facing a tight budget for 2011-12, as the value of property is expected to drop over the next two years and the district is at its maximum tax rate.

Spending has been reduced by about $1.5 million the past two years as hiring remains frozen, and the district continues to combine positions as people retire or leave.

“It will be a challenging time,” said Tom Hahn, executive director.