New Philadelphia service and clerical AFSCME city employees are working under new contracts for the first time this year.
The new three-year contracts, retroactive to January 1st, include raises of 3.5 percent this year and four percent in each of the next two years.
The contracts also have the employees contributing more health insurance, from 6.5 percent last year to now eight percent for this year. that goes up to 10 percent in 2026 and 2027. Service director Ron McAbier says that’s becoming more common for municipal employees.
McAbier says negotiations between the city and union leaders started late last year as the previous contracts were about to expire.
New Philadelphia’s AFSCME unions cover about 75 employees including city office workers and employees in the sanitation, general services, water, cemetery, and other departments.
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