Lake Co. sheriff's lieutenants unionize

The lieutenants working in the Lake County sheriff's office have unionized, officials confirmed Wednesday.

The officers have joined Teamsters Local Union 700, which represents public employees throughout the state. Until this month, the union was known as Local 714, a union executive said, but it has merged with another group.

The union also represents the Lake County sheriff's patrol sergeants and the sergeants who staff the county jail, said Brian Rainville, executive director of Teamsters Joint Council 25, which oversees the local union.

It also represents police officers from Highland Park, Mundelein and other communities.

Lake County Board committees this week are reviewing a collective-bargaining agreement with the labor union. The proposed one-year deal, which would be effective retroactively starting Dec. 1, 2009, would maintain the status quo for starting salaries for the post.

Right now, the starting salary for lieutenants is 5 percent greater than the salary of the highest-paid sergeant.

The sheriff's office has nine lieutenant positions, but not all are filled.

Of the 450 full-time employees in the sheriff's office, 403 are unionized, Sheriff Mark Curran said.

Workers in several other Lake County offices or agencies, including the coroner's office, the transportation division and the Winchester House nursing home, belong to unions.

The contract talks come as county leaders have been working to renegotiate union contracts because of the recession's fiscal pinch.

Some groups have agreed to pay freezes or other concessions, but others haven't.

Fourteen full-time positions were eliminated at Winchester House last month after an employee union refused to renegotiate raises that had been approved before the economy sank in 2008, officials said.

Conversely, unionized workers at the county's transportation division kept their jobs after agreeing to postpone raises eight months until December 2010 as part of a renegotiated contract.

The county board's law and judicial committee approved the contract for the sheriff's lieutenants Tuesday, and the financial and administrative committee signed off on the deal Wednesday.

The full board is expected to vote on the contract Jan. 12.