Some county staff raises expected under contracts

Spokane County officials announced Tuesday that they will be giving raises to many county employees as part of recently reached contract agreements.

The contracts give the employees involved 2 percent raises per year for three years, retroactive to Jan. 1.

Employees have also agreed to begin paying a portion of their dependents’ health-care premiums, amounting to about $40 per month for a family of four, said Spokane County CEO Marshall Farnell.

Giving a 2 percent pay raise to all county employees would cost about $1.4 million this year, said Farnell, who added that he didn’t have the precise cost of settling with the affected bargaining units.

The groups involved – the Public Works Guild, Road Supervisors’ Guild, Local 280 of the International Union of Operating Engineers and Local 1553-S of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees – represent less than a quarter of the county’s organized employees.

County officials are still negotiating with other unions, but about 400 managers and other non-union employees will receive 2 percent raises for the next three years.