Hoffman Estates adjusts public works union contract to keep jobs competitive with neighbors

Hoffman Estates officials aim to keep their public works jobs competitive with surrounding communities - especially for entry-level employees - with an adjustment to their union contract.

Trustees and the village's public works union have approved salary and health-insurance adjustments for the final two years of their current five-year contract.

Renegotiation of those specific parts of the contract was scheduled at its original signing three years ago, Deputy Village Manager Dan O'Malley said.

Predicting appropriate wage increases and insurance costs even three years out is hard enough, but it was felt a five-year contract was achievable with that provision, he added.

"I think the union was comfortable about everything else that was in the contract," O'Malley said.

The union represents about 60 public works employees in Hoffman Estates, divided among the experience categories of maintenance worker 1, 2 and 3.

All will receive basic 3% salary increases on Jan. 1 of both 2024 and 2025. But the less experienced M1 employees will receive an additional 2% increase the first year and 1% the second, while the other categories will get another 1% in 2024 and 0.5% in 2025.

The reason for the increases and the differences among the categories is to stay competitive with neighboring municipalities, O'Malley said.

A recent comparison found that entry-level public works positions in Hoffman Estates were earning slightly below those in nearby communities and there was a desire to correct that, he added.

On the other hand, all public works employees will be paying 15% of the cost of their health insurance over the next two years - an increase from the 14% share they paid during the first three years of the contract.